Reflections
by Lazlo Pizazzlo
Summary: The day after the Black Arms' demise, Shadow declines an alliance offer from G.U.N. and instead finds himself hoarding Earth's no. 1 fugitive. Can he really leave his past behind while he mends the wounds he himself made?
1. Failed Missions

_Yay! I'm very excited about this one. I've had this plotline in development for a while, but couldn't piece it all together until now! This story will be long, but not too long...I'm estimating...20-ish chapters? We'll see how things go. _

**_Please read "The War Still Wages Within" before reading this; it's a very brief oneshot, but it will help you understand a few things later. _**

_Really the only warnings I have is just for violence and gore at the beginning of this entire fic. There's some strong language throughout, but it never reaches the f-bomb levels.  
>I think, though, that this fic will be a fun little experiment as far as character limits and "good vs. evil" stuff goes. <em>My goal is to change your views on one particular character. Won't say who it is yet, though, of course ;D<em>_

__I guess what I'm trying to say is to keep your mind open. Ya gotta do that with my fics sometimes...it'll work out in the end, though, I promise! __

_Predictions, questions, n comments are always encouraged! Anons, jump in, too! Ready when you are.  
>-Laz<em>

* * *

><p>"I have an assignment for you, men."<p>

The three soldiers stiffened slightly at the statement, their limbs already beginning to ache. Since the alien invasion, it had been constant labor and an endless list of assignments for the entire military; not one hour passed that didn't include some sort of work, and to be frank, it was exhausting. For these three soldiers, it had been even moreso; their stealth and combat skills were ranked higher than most average men, so in result, they were needed for the more elaborate and difficult missions, ones that drained them of both their time and their strength. Combined, however, they worked in G.U.N. for over 12 years, and their dedication and commitment to their work showed. It pleased the head commander greatly, and so there, in the commander's office, they had been summoned.

"You've been selected to go on quite possibly the most important mission of mankind. I need you…" the G.U.N. commander closed his brown and hazel eyes, and breathed before continuing. "…to retrieve something that has been declared missing as of yet."

That particular word had been emphasized, each sound as sharp as a knife, cutting the air clean in two. The men stood frozen, uncertain of what it was that needed fetching so quickly and why its significance was so great to the human race. They resisted casting uncertain glances to one another, as the commander's disposition had greatly darkened over the past week, but maintained their upright posture and kept silent during the small pause their superior took.

"Ever since those black aliens attacked…well, let's just say that people are getting curious about other aliens' existence. And who can blame them? If it weren't for Shadow, we'd be dead now…" he trailed off, looking toward the setting sun that painted streaks of reds and violets across the sky. "Men, we're getting funds for alien research…"

The men perked at the statement, the word "alien" striking a sour note. There had been so many comrades – friends – family, lost during that painfully-recent invasion that it almost physically hurt themselves to wear their uniforms still. It was true that the two lower-ranked men had seriously considered leaving their military careers, but as they were on their way to get the necessary paperwork, they had been paged into the office for this briefing. So close, yet so far, they grumbled, but decided after this mission, they would hand their badges in most definitely.

"And I was thinking…what better way to start this research off with an alien autopsy?"

The soldiers' dispositions suddenly darkened, sinking deep into fear and sickness at the thought of a dead alien life form strapped to a cold steel table. Did the military even have the proper facilities, let alone equipment, to handle an autopsy as delicate as that? Though that same question ran through all three of the soldiers' heads, none were able to gather the courage, or the stomach, to ask.

"S…sir…?" the captain swallowed, about to ask the question himself, but grew pale instead. He let his stammering serve for an urge for his commander to continue, who turned from the window, doing so without much hesitation.

"Men, it is imperative that you listen to my every word very carefully, as we as a military – as humans – Earthlings – want no publicity or attention in this matter." The commander sat in his leather chair, folding his hands and staring at the neat stack of papers that were standing to his side. "The black aliens' leader was slain approximately a day ago, but his body was never found, nor was any clue or hint of his location. It will be your mission to find and retrieve it so we can…advance in this field of science."

It was well-known that the commander had his own reasons for fetching the late ruler and slicing him up, and it wasn't a mystery as to what they were. The commander, having witnessed Project Shadow first-hand, had also seen the aliens' leader's involvement, and abhorred him from the moment he did so. The past week gave the aged man even more support as to why he should hold fast to such a strong grudge. It was clear that the death of the alien wasn't enough for him; he wanted to see his corpse taken apart, fiber by fiber.

"I'm certain you're familiar with Black Doom by now," the commander growled, his knuckles turning white as he clenched his fists in long-withheld anger. "He shouldn't be hard to miss. Find him, men. Quickly. When you do, alert me and I'll send out support and transportation. Be discreet as possible. Understood?"

"Yessir, understood." The three soldiers saluted in unison, marching out the door in a hurry after receiving likely coordinates of where the deceased alien in question was.

* * *

><p>Hours later, the three armed soldiers had just about exhausted the entire area searching for any hint as to where the blood-thirsty tyrant known as Black Doom was. Beginning to lose hope, the three regrouped next to a small stream of cold water, splashing their sweat-coated faces and quenching their parched throats. Though they mostly kept silent, attempting to take a quick rest from their tireless work, every now and then they would wonder aloud just what awaited them out in space. The two lower-ranked soldiers exchanged childhood dreams of being astronauts and to see little green men, even admitting to sitting on their roofs with telescopes and gazing up at the night sky for hours.<p>

"What a space-freak I was, I tell ya." One of them shook his head, laughing at himself. "But just think, Hank. If we could one day just fly on up there and see all the stars…man. It'd just be amazing."

There was a hearty, deep scoff in response from their captain as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it nonchalantly. "You do realize what you're saying, right?" the captain said, puffing out a cloud of smoke to the side. "You're acting like you really want to see more of those…intergalactic space bastards. If ya ask me, if I ever see one of those things again, I'd shoot its brains out faster than you can say 'we come in peace.'"

As for the other two, their spirits fell as that smoke rose, remembering the severe hostility of the Black Arms. A dense silence overtook all three, their heads falling slightly.

"Y'know, I was actually thinking for a while…that maybe we were screwed as a race when those guys came." Hank mumbled, holding his knees to his chest. "Kind of changes your whole view on living…though, I hear the commander'll be a grandpa soon. It'd definitely suck to be pregnant last week, I tell ya…"

The three gave stifled laughs, the air turning slightly chilled as a breeze whistled through the large trees. The attempt at cracking such light-hearted jokes made no lasting effect as long as they were in such an eerie environment. The thought of an alien corpse being anywhere near them sent shivers down their spines; but then again, it could have been the cold breeze doing so. The three quieted down, looking their separate directions.

Suddenly, a twig snapped, and the sound of footsteps thumping against the ground met the air, though growing distant with each passing second. The soldiers' heads snapped toward the direction of the noises, but they saw nothing. There was a gap of silence before anything was said, assuring themselves that no one truly was there.

"What the hell was that?"

"Probably a squirrel or somethin'." The other lieutenant said, taking a shaky sigh, clearly unnerved by the sudden noise and seeking to lighten the mood at least slightly once again.

"That sounded a lot larger than a squirrel, Hank…"

The captain scoffed, turning back to the lower-ranks. "You two act like you've seen a ghost! Man up a little, would ya?" Another cloud of smoke seeped from his mouth as he adjusted his chest armor. It was understandable why the others were so spooked; a week full of aliens would definitely bring some paranoia to their heads, but they were in the military. As far as the captain saw it, any fear in the line of duty shouldn't have been tolerated, nor should it ever.

Yet neither of the other soldiers spoke or budged, and the captain furrowed his brow at them, confused as to what exactly they were fearfully gazing at. Following their eyesight, he noticed a form of a figure beneath the darkness of the shadows. He stood, sticking the cigarette in his mouth and snatching his gun from his back. He heard movement, rustling of leaves, and he finally growled, resolving to investigate. He stepped over his comrades, assuming a ready stance.

"Come out now." the captain ordered, his loaded gun aimed in the area of where the rustling was. The three noticed there had been a small cave-like crevice on the side of the cliff nearby, and they began to wonder what exactly it held, or why they didn't notice it before. The other two got to their feet, guns in hand, moving quickly to the sides of their captain, they, too, aiming in the same direction.

What emerged from the dense, dark shade of the trees appeared to be a black hedgehog. From what they could see, his quills were pointed and dark, his body slender and well-built with a tuft of white upon his chest. Despite his strong looking exterior, he was steadying himself along the cliff's base, weakened and shaking slightly. Immediately at the sight, one of the soldiers gasped.

"Sh-shadow?"

Something about this darkened hedgehog was different, somehow; his posture, currently, was hunched, his breathing quick and labored. But, no…this wasn't Shadow; it couldn't have been, not even if he was in this sort of condition. At least now he would have said something to them…

As the famous black blur's name was stammered out, the captain's aim had shifted directly at the slouched, trembling hedgehog, despite what his comrade felt. "Identify yourself."

Silence was the answer, and the other two soldiers themselves began to shake at the sight. Though the captain felt a twinge of fear as well, he attempted to sort out his mind, picturing the long list of protocol that was to be followed in such a situation. He took a deep breath, stepping forward, bracing himself for any offensive attacks against him, but feeling none, his courage slowly began to climb.

"What's yer name?" he repeated in an unwavering, gruff voice. The hedgehog in question remained quiet, and the captain growled. "Hey! I'm talking to you! If you're not gonna answer, I'll shoot ya square in the stomach!"

The hedgehog hesitated, taking a weary gaze down at his feet before looking back up at his opposition. He decided to step forward, only to pathetically stumble to the ground, falling to his knees with an anguished grunt. The men watched intently at the failed approach, their weapons' aim following him down, yet uncertain of what to do next. They were certainly suspicious, as the past alien-filled week had taught them to never let their guard down, but this scene was so…pitiful. There was no way he could pose a threat.

Slowly, all three approached the fallen hedgehog, looking him over. It was apparent, from such close distance, that he was severely wounded with strange black liquid trailing and dripping from his injuries, especially his forehead. Though, upon closer investigation, it was also clear that the hedgehog looked extremely similar to Shadow; the only differences were his rough, jagged stripes. They watched his chest rise and fall, desperate for oxygen, but as they came closer to him, the hedgehog winced, looking up at them with repelling eyes. The captain didn't cease his approach, but slowed before kneeling to his level, seeing a slight bulge from the center of his forehead. He realized something was certainly amiss with the hedgehog.

"Easy, there, fella…we're not gonna hurt you," the captain said, still holding fast to his gun, but keeping it at his side. The ebony creature's breathing remained heavy and uneven, coughing lightly. He trembled, groaning softly as he attempted to hold his side with one of his gloved hands, eyes snapped shut. The captain's eyes widened as he saw black liquid begin to seep into the hedgehog's white gloves. He certainly was hurt, and he needed medical attention soon.

"Should we call for help, captain?"

"N…no." the man replied, examining the hedgehog's wounds from a safe distance. He took his cigarette from his mouth and flicked it away. "This isn't anything we can't handle; let's take him back to the base before this guy kills over."

"But, what about Black Doom…?"

The hedgehog's cut ears twitched at the name, and he swallowed a knot in his throat before wincing in pain. His heart began to race, pumping his blood faster through his veins and out every opening and gash there was in his skin. His head began to feel light and airy, his eyes trailing up at the sky and towering trees above him as if praying to the heavens above.

"We've been searching for hours and haven't found a clue, Lieutenant." He frowned, standing up again. "Better to come back with something than nothing at all. Hop to it, men, let's get him out of here."

Hoisting their guns over their shoulders, the other two leaned down and snatched the hedgehog's arms up with tightened, tense grips. The wounded animal felt cold as ice, save for his seemingly fresh wounds that were dripping with that eerie dark substance. The captain turned, leading them out of the area in the quickest route possible, fearing the wounded one's lifespan with those heavy gashes.

Beneath his breath, the hedgehog barely managed to whisper something coldly, but it never reached the soldiers' ears.

"_Shadow…" _


	2. Helpless?

_Cool, a nice little update-time...right on!_

_The last part of this chapter was difficult for me to write for some reason. Not sure why, but it took me a couple days...meh. __You might hate me at the end, though...cliffhanger...;;_

_There are some words in here that come from my fan-language of the Black Arms...*such a nerd* If you want some translations throughout any of this story, just throw me a PM. (Though in this one, one of em is flat-out translated FOR you! XD)_

_Super excited for your reactions and such! Don't be shy, folks! Gimme some feedback if you have time! :D  
>-Laz<em>

* * *

><p>"…<em>kai…"<em>

"…_m-samokai…"_

"_Black Doom!"_

The ebony hedgehog's eyes shot open, only to be stung and engulfed with a piercing white light. He almost instantly shut them, groaning quietly in pain as a dull ache spread through his skull. He lifted his hand to nurse his head, yet in doing so, he found movement to be extremely inhibited. He glanced down, finding glowing cuffs fastened around his wrists and ankles, tying him to the bedframe that he rested on. He gasped aloud, forgetting the voice calling in his head as he began to struggle and yank at the restrains.

The humans had found out something, and they knew who they were dealing with.

"_Oh, Lord Doom, I've been calling you for at least an hour! Finally you've regained consciousness! Are you alright?"_

He blinked, hearing the shaking voice echo in his head, but as he expected, saw no one in the room. He eased a little, but his unknown location troubled him still, his aching wounds acting as a constant teasing reminder that he needed more rest and care than ever before.

"_**I…wouldn't call my present state 'alright.'" **_he replied, eyes surveying the room. _**"I…believe the humans brought me somewhere." **_

"_Eh? They brought you somewhere? Do…do they even know who you are?"_

"_**Considering how they spoke before I lost consciousness, I would assume not, especially since I tried to keep my third eye shut the entire time. But…there's no telling what they did to me when I was out." **_Black Doom's heart raced at his own statement, realizing his third eye was now open and quite visible; a dead giveaway to his true identity. He growled, clenching his fists (ones that had two fingers too many) as his wounds began to ache once again. _**"You moron! I swear, as soon as I get back there, I will have your head for what you made me into!"**_

A fearful whimper responded. _"I-I'm so sorry, Lord Doom! I didn't mean to, really – I was just thinking of that disgraceful bastard and how we'd rip him apart for what __he__ did to you!"_

"_**It could have easily waited five minutes, idiot…"**_

"_I s-sincerely apologize, my lord…I-I will accept any punishment this has in store for me…"_

"_**You'll be dealt with after our numbers get restored. I don't need another casualty to deal with…" **_Quietly he calmed himself as best he could, still feeling disoriented from both awakening and his new body. The alien leader felt strange, indeed, especially with the two…things attached to his hips. What were they called again? Legs? He frowned down at them, cursing them, but gasped as one twitched. They felt like whole different beings…He swallowed, distracted from the anger at his minion.

"_**Did you get back to the comet safely?"**_

"_Y-yes, sire. Everything looks well in here."_

Silently he thanked their divinity for having restored their dwelling; it was up to him, however, to resupply their numbers. It was beyond him how asexual reproduction worked in this body, and truthfully, he almost feared trying. _**"Very well. I…I'm in need of assistance, actually…it doesn't appear they know I'm awake as of yet, but it certainly would be nice to have someone come get me away from this filthy place." **_

"_A-ah! Yes, of course! You wouldn't…appen…av…din…s…"_

"…_**? Could you repeat that? I think you're…"**_

In that moment, Black Doom's head was met with a sharp pain, as a hushed yelp followed. His hand instinctively lifted up, only to come up a few inches before halting in the air. He growled as the pain died gradually, waiting impatiently until it completely vanished to contact his soldier once more. Even doing so, however, his own mental voice was eaten up by silence, with nothing coming back to him in return. He cursed, blaming it on his new hedgehog body.

He was alone.

A foreign, twisting feeling welled up inside of him, his emotions knotting themselves together into a giant mess of confusion. He needed to get out of this place, but in his current state, it wouldn't be easy in the least bit. Black Doom's three eyes began to trail around the room, searching for any means of escape. The walls were a blank, dull stone gray, windowless, and bleak, to say the least. It only further solidified his feeling of hopelessness; even if he could somehow find a way out of his restraints, much less move about, the only way out seemed to be the steel door to his right. The distance between he and the exit seemed miles apart.

Bringing his head down, he returned his glare to his restraints, mainly whatever he was laying upon. Strangely enough, this "bed" of sorts was more like a metal table with foam padding to cushion his back. With a shiver, he gritted his teeth as his fur stood on end, his wounds prickling in response. Slowly he realized the lack of robes on his body, and his face flushed at the sight of his bare black stomach, a white tuft of fur tickling his chin. He was indecent…! Those vile, perverted humans…how dare they strip him and leave him in the chilled air as he was.

It was then, though, that he realized that another means of escape might have been near him all this time; the ceiling. With such cold air, it had to be coming from somewhere. He began to search for vent openings; if there were any ventilation shafts in this room, he pondered, he should be able to hoist himself up and crawl through. Nothing, however, appeared to be anything like vents; nothing but more blank concrete and humming fluorescent lights. Unfazed by the lack of escape points up above, he craned his neck upward still. How could the room be so cold without an air source? Unless…this place was naturally cold…

Abruptly before his eyes appeared a rather large metal lamp looming above his head. It startled him, as it had remained out of his vision until that moment. He took a closer look above, staring into it. He could tell there were four large lightbulbs stuck in their sockets, and though the lamp itself was off now, he could tell that its luminosity would be that of looking into a star directly. It made his eyes sting simply thinking about it.

As he gazed into the lamp, he was able to pick out small black lettering on the brushed steel. He focused in on the printed text, reading it in hopes of finding any clue to where he was. He raised a brow at the numbers and the strange word "watt", which was used frequently in the small line of words, but just as the hedgehog half-gave up, he picked out three letters of significance: "G.U.N."

Almost instantly, Black Doom narrowed his eyes darkly. The humans never knew when to give up…and they were true cowards for catching him off-guard and weakened like this. Though he did want revenge on the so-called "victors" of the recent war, the alien leader knew that in this form, he wouldn't be able to do much at all. For now, he needed to flee this place and return when he was in better standings.

At this moment, he needed out of the glowing cuffs about his wrists.

Black Doom stared at the blue things fastened about him, chained to the very table he was on. Risking the amount of pain he would receive, he rocked himself back and forth, testing the stability of the table. It didn't budge, much to his dismay, which meant it had to be bolted to the floor. He drew his mouth into a fine line, waiting for an idea to strike him. These restraints had to be like no other of their kind, especially with the strange hue it was giving off. His heart briefly stuttered at the thought of the humans understanding the form of Chaos and how to control it; if they had such understanding, these very things could potentially be inhibiting his own powers – his own essence.

But were the humans that intelligent? He gave up, trying to distance himself from the thought of paranoia and fear. Growling, he relaxed his head, letting it fall back onto the sorry excuse for a cushion. He cringed at the throbs that danced about his body, feeling his black blood seep from every opening. He furrowed his brow, glancing at the door with crimson eyes tinged with desperation. In doing so, however, a glimmer of light caught his eye. He managed to turn his head slightly before another stabbing pain struck his head. This time, more things shone, and he squinted, trying to focus his unstable, blurring vision.

At his right side sat a small tray full of intricate tools, almost all razor-sharp, gleaming in the fluorescent lights above. His eyes widened, slowly understanding where exactly he was and why he was bound in such a manner. For the first time in a very long while, he tasted fear.

_Oh, holy gods above…_

* * *

><p>"I'm going to have to decline your offer, commander." Shadow the Hedgehog said simply, his arms crossed in an indifferent manner. The commander furrowed his brow, his hands folded in his lap in attempts to look as neutral on his decision as possible. With three of his best men coming back with nothing but a beaten, bloody hedgehog, the commander was already in a bad mood, to say the least, and Shadow could easily tell.<p>

"And there isn't anything you want in return?" he urged. Shadow closed his eyes, irked by his persistence. Four times now the commander had offered him anything in return of joining G.U.N., and four times he had declined.

The gash on his arm throbbed, and he set a heavy hand on the bandaged wound, trying not to recall how his wounds had been treated earlier that morning. The military ushered him into a medical facility, bandaging the injuries he had received from Black Doom's super form, but the military's true intention had to be something more than just genuine kindness. That suspicion only solidified into a belief once Shadow was brought into the commander's office – where he was now – only to be pleaded to join their forces.

"I'm not one for material possessions, sir." The hedgehog looked away, half-apologetically now. This man was getting so desperate…it was beginning to be pitiful to even look him in the eye.

"It wouldn't have to be material, Shadow," the man forged a smile, hoping to persuade him by any means necessary. "You could be at a superior rank upon your registration! Admired by others, praised by leaders from around the world, credited for accomplishing the most dangerous of missions…! Of course, even if you didn't enter as a superior, it wouldn't take long for you to get there…"

The mere idea of being at a superior ranking still made Shadow shudder, a strange premonition of being used as a weapon yet again in his life. Half the reason he didn't want a part in the military was the constant, looming suspicion of being used like he always was. Yet, at the same time, he didn't want to stand around on his own and do nothing for the rest of his eternal life. His future was such a dilemma-ridden topic; all he knew was that he didn't want to be used in the military or the evil genius Dr. Eggman, nor did he want to associate his name with the world-renowned Sonic the Hedgehog.

With a sigh, he shook his head, pushing his contemplation to the back of his head for the time being. The black hedgehog wasn't easy to fool, and if there was one thing he hated, it was being buttered up like this.

"Shadow, we need you here on our side…after your performance yesterday in killing that horrid monster – !"

Suddenly the ebony hedgehog stood, resisting the urge to flip the commander's desk over as his heart raced in his chest. "That 'performance' was as best as I could conjure up with the given circumstances, commander, and almost killed me. I could barely stand by myself after that fight." His voice was sharpened with bottled rage, but oppressed with as much formality as he could find. To be honest, Shadow never wanted that battle with the Black Arms leader to be brought up again in his life after it ended in his favor. Something had nagged at him, pounded away at his sanity as soon as he landed on safe ground, and he never wished to dwell on it in fear of uncovering more undesirable feelings.

That…monster was Shadow's biological father, after all. The hedgehog swallowed a mild feeling of nausea, his throat dry with the twisting feeling of regret. Such stress had taken its toll on his well-being, and he needed his rest. It had only been a day since the fight, and his wounds were still fresh, as was the chilling truth of what went on behind his creation.

"Like…like I said…I appreciate the offer, but I decline. I can't be here." Shadow stood, bowing his head in faux gratitude, and started for the exit to the room. The commander said nothing and did not try to stop him, which surprised the ebony hedgehog, especially after how insistent he was. The silence certainly didn't stop Shadow in his tracks, though.

Just as the hybrid set a hand on the cold metal handle, the commander suddenly cleared his throat. Shadow looked up at the ceiling briefly, expressing his deep hatred for this man's determination, but decided to humor him and wait for his last words to be said.

"Shadow, it may interest you…" the older man said, rising from his chair, "we're opening a new ward to our base that happens to be dedicated to extraterrestrial studies."

Shadow's ears perked, his eyes widening. He stared at the door blankly, inferring on his own what he was getting at, stomach dropping at the very idea. He swallowed once again.

"In case you have any information or remains of Black Doom, please consider at least dropping by again to assist our advances in this field." The commander continued nonchalantly, hoping to spark some interest in the black hedgehog on his way out. "Perhaps you would even fit in with our researchers…?"

Researchers…of alien life? The thought barely registered in his mind before he rejected it; that position was only above being used as a pawn. Shadow wasn't a scientist, and he certainly wanted to be far away from any aliens for at least the next decade after the madness that ended one day prior.

Shadow turned back, facial expression almost as monotone as his voice. "Thank you for your offer, commander. But like I've been saying, I don't belong here." He went out the door before another word was said, latching it tightly on his way out.

The moment his gloved hand left the door handle, his entire body slumped against the steel door in relief. Such tension, such anxiety had been filling his head to the brim. It enraged him that the military was so hasty in finding him just for this purpose. They were…so selfish. Dragging him into this place, treating and helping nurse his injuries, and then to just dump him off at the commander's office, expecting an instant "yes" in regards to their affiliation offer was so absurd.

_Those wretched, vile humans. _

He growled lowly at the thought, hearing Black Doom's own voice speak those words. They may have been selfish, but he sure as hell wasn't going to let that bastard alien corrupt his mind. He shoved himself off the door, his head pounding, the gash on the side of it beginning to sting. Shadow started down the hall, clenching his fists and shutting his eyes. He needed out of this place as soon as possible.

Gradually he became aware of a muted buzzing in the back of his head. At first, Shadow merely ignored it, but as it grew louder, he set a hand on where the sound seemed most concentrated. Feeling nothing, he froze in his tracks, ears twitching as it continued, only to increase in volume. Only then did Shadow swear that he heard someone whispering, but as soon as his ears picked up on it, both sounds ceased. He furrowed his brow, blinking and looking all around him. Not a soul to be found, not a trace of anything that could have caused the strange buzzing…

With a growl, he pushed it out of his mind. Nothing strange was happening, he chanted in his mind; it was most likely his head trauma affecting his hearing and thoughts. A small rest would certainly do him well. With the bright thoughts of escaping this metal hell-hole, Shadow continued onward down the straight hallway. As he walked in silence, however, the scent of fresh paint and sterile steel began to encircle him. Slowly, he remembered the commander spoke of a new facility here in the building was in development. Sure enough, a newly-mounted plaque hung on the wall next to the hall proclaiming such thing.

Extraterrestrial studies. Dear God. He himself was an alien, even if he was just half of one. Just reading those two words on the sign twisted his insides, visions of Shadow himself on an autopsy table clouding his mind. The only people who knew of he and Black Doom's blood-relation was Gerald, Black Doom himself, and Shadow; everyone else just assumed the Black Arms leader assisted in some undefined way. If the commander ever heard about his true heritage, there was no telling what G.U.N. would want with him – and his blood.

Suddenly, Shadow's head buzzed again, this time with more strength. He grunted as it sent shockwaves down his spine, his knees almost instantaneously giving. He braced himself against the metal wall, trembling as the strange sensation in his head continued. Shadow brought his hand up to his skull, applying pressure to it in hopes of ceasing the irksome noise; it made him wince, the throbs in his head growing stronger, blood beginning to seep through his bandages. Feeling his warm blood soak through, he attempted to take deep, even breaths in hopes of stopping any more blood from being lost. He couldn't faint here…not now. Slowly, he leaned over, snapping his eyes shut, simply focused on the very act of calming himself down and slowing his heart rate.

After moments of hunching over, his knees slowly began to gain their lost strength, the noise fading away enough for Shadow to remove his hand from his head. He glanced at it, seeing no trace of blood stained on it, and let his hand fall to his side. The hedgehog, however, wasn't anywhere near comfortable with leaving the wall yet, fearing the distinct possibility of something more violent overtaking his head. He remained firmly in his place, not daring to move an inch as he braced himself for anything.

Then, his ears twitched, hearing that strange voice echoing softly again in the air, but this time, it was clearer than before.

_**Dosuna…**_

Help.

His head snapped upward toward the weak groan, eyes narrowing. His mind was in a complete blur, losing control of all his thoughts, emotions, actions, and pain; all Shadow cared about now was to find the source of this voice and to offer them his assistance.

He knew now that he wasn't hallucinating; that voice seemed so real…so desperate. And if anyone were trapped in this godforsaken place, Shadow would be the first to rescue them. Hands still lightly trailing along the wall, he started down the new ward of the G.U.N. base cautiously as the humming grew stronger with each step. The hedgehog took this as a sign that he was nearing the source of the plea for help, and though he was willing to aide whoever it was, he remained as cautious as he could be.

He cast his eyes from one side to another as he advanced down, brow furrowed. Each door looked as if they were extremely heavy, plated with the same bleak metal as every other wall in the building, but unlike the others, these had no windows of any sort. It reminded him of the doors in the research labs in the ARK; so concealed and confidential. He swallowed the painful memory of being prodded at with needles and continued onward.

In the same time that Shadow's pace quickened, it slowed. His eyes beheld a clean, freshly-painted wall that might as well have been mocking his feeble attempts at locating this voice. It was a dead end.

What was he supposed to do now, he asked himself, check all the doors of this hallway? His stomach turned at the thought of walking in on an autopsy of a Black Arms soldier that had been left behind. Something deep inside of him wished no such thing would ever happen.

Nonetheless, Shadow was faced with a dilemma. The buzzing had quieted down again, which only further confused him. Its pattern fluctuated so often that he began to wonder if it was truly leading him somewhere or aimlessly changing. His hand left the wall, resolving to leave the new ward and its sickening fumes. Just as he turned, though, the sensation spiked again. Shadow stifled a groan, holding his head. This was much more powerful than any of the previous sensations, and his entire body began pounding, numbing every twinge of pain there was.

Just as he expected his head to erupt with unthinkable pain, everything ceased. A stronger, clearer echoing cut through the air, and Shadow definitely heard it. The tone sounded more desperate than before, as if it were losing hope in its cries. More foreign sounds were added to the last word; Shadow couldn't comprehend it, for he was too absorbed in the volume.

Shadow's feet stopped, turning his body to his left. His eyes trailed up to the door in front of him, and somehow, he could feel something alive inside. The rushed thumping of a heartbeat, a tense air filling the room, a stinging, aching pain…yes, this had to be where the call sourced. He stepped forward unconsciously, setting a hand on the door handle, pushing it down carefully. Never did Shadow appreciate the role of the hero – the glory, the fame, the glitter – but here, this seemed different. It was as if he wanted to help this being, even if there was no personal gain.

Had that fight with Black Doom changed him?

As the door silently and slowly crept open, Shadow's curious, cautious gaze was almost immediately met with one of shock and a spark of fear. There across the room sat a table with a hedgehog of Shadow's appearance, held down with glowing restraints. The hybrid would have normally run forward to try to help the poor, defenseless creature, but one thing froze him dead in his tracks.

This hedgehog had a third eye.


	3. Following Intuition

_Holy cow, Batman__! What happened to this story?  
>School happened, that's what. =A= For the past few weeks, it's been nothing but projects, homework, and tests. I've been trying to get into the groove of things, and I think I've figured it out pretty well right now, so hopefully things will move along faster than they did this time around, but I promise. I'll try. XD<em>

_Please enjoy, guys! It's a longer one this time around, too! :D_**  
><strong>_-Laz_

* * *

><p>It seemed as if they had been staring at one another for hours on end.<p>

Shadow's heart began to pound vigorously, hands still latched onto the door and its frame. His crimson eyes never left the opposite hedgehog, scanning him for any sign of proof that he wasn't who he thought he was. Such coloring, such build…it was all so similar to his own, which only further supported his presumption, third eye aside. So many questions swarmed his head, and he wanted to demand answers, but something held him back. This…was like the past week all over again. His stomach dropped.

As for Black Doom, he was appalled, to say the least, that Shadow of all people stood there in the doorway. Indeed, he had sent out an organic transmission asking for assistance, one that was only detectable by the Black Arms, but for Shadow to have responded to it…somehow it astounded him.

"Are you…?" Shadow finally stammered out.

Black Doom's ears fell slightly, ungluing his eyes finally from the hybrid and casting them to the side. He wasn't sure if he should even answer; he knew what question was to be asked. It was a matter of time before Shadow would find out, but here? Now? So soon? It didn't seem right to reveal everything at that moment. Receiving silence as an answer, Shadow decided for himself, determining that such alike markings could not have been coincidental; much less that third eye perched upon his head. He strode across the room, glowering darkly at the alien hedgehog as a low growl rumbled in his chest. He grabbed hold of Black Doom's neck, holding it tightly. The alien winced, snapping his eyes shut.

"You are him, aren't you?" he cried. Black Doom only responded with a cough, struggling to lift his arms. He muttered something beneath his breath, a word in a strange language, something that Shadow found familiar, settling with clenching his fists in his restraints. If he answered truthfully, it would be the end for him. If he lied, Shadow would see through it. If he didn't answer…all his options led to the same dreadful fate. Knowing he would hate himself later for it, Black Doom pleaded for mercy.

"S-Sha…Shadow…!" he stammered, his voice strained, his oxygen cut off drastically and pain increasing by the millisecond. "D-don't…s-stop…!"

"No, never!" Shadow yelled, shoving him into the table harshly. Black Doom made a small grunt in protest, but said nothing, as he was more exhausted and in agony than before. His whole world was beginning to darken from his air supply rapidly depleting. "You bastard! How dare you come back, especially so soon! I'll…I'll…!"

The hybrid couldn't finish his sentence, his mind scrambled and hazed with confusion and hatred. Shadow wanted nothing more than to see this monster's face wiped off the face of the planet, or, even better, existence altogether. Rather, that's what he thought he wanted. The day prior to this had been filled with nothing but reflecting on what he had done to his biological father; all the destruction he had caused to his true family. He didn't wish to be alone, to know he was the only survivor. It was as if he needed to know that someone who was related to him in some way lived…But gods. This was Black Doom he was talking about. The ruthless, vengeful, dark tyrant that wanted nothing more than to see the Earth destroyed and Shadow serving him. He was a despicable villain who could never be forgiven.

But he was…his father.

Shadow cursed in his head; there the cycle went again, just as it had presented itself before. He himself was beginning to feel a headache return.

"Y-you're going to kill me…?" Black Doom gave a tired, pitiful smile. His eyelids were heavy, dropping halfway, barely able to keep his dark crimson eyes exposed. "In this…cowardly manner?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Shadow demanded, voice raised. His grip, however, loosened, and the alien quickly gulped in a large breath of cold air. It burned his chest, but his vision cleared only slightly, giving him a level of comfort to speak once again.

"L-look at me, Shadow…I'm bound, weak…" he trailed off, fighting a cough tickling his chest. "You're going to stoop to the humans' levels…taking my life while I'm like this…? I…I liked you better yesterday…"

He let the cough out, though painfully, it morphing into a painful chuckle. Shadow's brow furrowed at the idea of leveling with those cowards and the memory of what happened the day prior to this mess. It did, in fact, enrage him to think that the humans would pride themselves soon knowing that they eliminated Black Doom for good, merely because they took his life in such an unequal way. If the alien's wounds were mended, the Earthlings didn't stand a chance. It was only because of his battered condition that he would fall to them; and the one responsible for said condition was Shadow himself…

His hand loosened, leaving his neck and sliding off of his creator's body as he swirled deep into thought. The alien gasped, almost immediately coughing dryly, his lungs rejecting the icy air. The Black Arms favored and thrived off of warmth; this cool environment almost felt poisonous to him. His chest was heavy, absorbing any particle of air it could get, cringing in agony as the throbbing in his abdomen grew stronger. Shockwaves of dull stings throbbed throughout his body. Yet again he wished he could reach his stomach to assure himself of warmth, of life, but was denied as he had been the countless times before.

Black Doom did not thank Shadow for his mercy, nor was Shadow expecting it. Instead, the two remained quiet, their gazes aimed away from one another. Only for a few moments did Shadow look over Black Doom's hedgehog body, feeling a shock of pity for him. Gashes, cuts, scrapes…such severe ones at that, were scattered everywhere on his body. He couldn't imagine the pain he was going through, but could only observe it as he snapped his eyes shut and cringed every so often.

And to think Shadow did all of this to him.

"Though…though I suppose if I were to truly go, I'd want to die in your hands rather than those…whelps…"

"What…?"

Black Doom glanced over tiredly at the tray of sharp scalpels and needles, signaling for his biological son to do the same. Shadow's gaze followed the glance, his heart stuttering at the sight of such things aligned so neatly. Yes, he had walked in on a (soon-to-be) autopsy of a Black Arms soldier that was left behind, much to his dismay. He just couldn't grasp the idea that the military had somehow found him, and Shadow himself had not.

The alien leader coughed yet again, snapping all three eyes shut in agony. His creation returned his focus to him, red orbs dashing about his robeless body. Shadow stiffened as he realized all his deep, mortal wounds hadn't even been dressed or tended to in any way. An overwhelming heavy sensation was flung onto his shoulders, one that he labeled as guilt, and he frowned, pitying the resurrected being. The humans probably reasoned that his death was imminent, so there was no point in helping him at all. A flame sparked in the ebony hedgehog's chest, one of hatred and rage, but he quickly tried to tame it, recalling who this victim really was. Appearances would not fool him; this was still the godforsaken warlord, Black Doom.

"After that little fight of ours…I suppose I was meant to truly die, so I guess it wouldn't make much of a difference…?" he trailed off, staring up at the ceiling, trying to ignore the massive pain that was cutting through his abdomen. There, he knew, the most severe wound on his entire body remained; he could feel the warm blood trickle down his sides. "I wonder, though…what will become of you after they realize our DNA is identical?"

That tone was completely free of mocking or scheming, Shadow noticed. His ears perked at the question, his mind racing through any potential outcome of said situation. More experiments; more studying; more interrogations…it would be hell. He never wanted a future as a lab rat, and somehow, he could tell Black Doom felt the same. He swallowed, looking away.

"What am I supposed to say to that?"

"Nothing," Black Doom sighed, returning his gaze to the ceiling, hopelessly searching for an air vent once again to escape out of. He blinked, remembering something, and looked back down at Shadow. The signal he sent out could only reach members of the Black Arms within a ten-mile radius, which meant Shadow had to be nearby. "Why are you here in this place, anyway?"

Shadow perked at the question, scowling to the right, almost ashamed to admit what he was in the G.U.N base for, especially to one such as Black Doom. He had expressed disinterest of the offer since the military found him. Either soldiers had poor hearing or they were naturally stubborn, for Shadow had protested almost nonstop as he was being carted off to the base and received no lenience.

"I…was…offered a job," Shadow growled, clenching his fists at his sides. "I…declined it, though."

The alien scoffed heartily, as if he were beginning to laugh. "So the humans wanted you on their side, too?" he smirked weakly upward, toying with the idea of how valuable Shadow's life really was ever since he stepped out of that capsule. He was, however, grateful that Shadow had turned them down as well; it meant something to him to have his creation reject the humans' hospitality, even if he himself had been rejected of the same.

Shadow himself wanted to avoid asking the same question to Black Doom, but he felt motivated to ask something. The current form that Black Doom was taking seemed impossible, let alone random; sourcing from that thought, he spoke. "How did you –"

"Long story." Black Doom interrupted harshly, knowing very well what was to be asked of him. His three eyes were narrowed with pure hatred, looking as if they themselves held the ability to slice something clean in half. It didn't scare Shadow, but it did pique his curiosity. He wished to pursue it still, but decided to grant the slowly dying alien a favor and let him be. Instead of falling silent, however, Shadow simply substituted a different query for the other.

"When…did you get here?" Shadow asked, casting a weary glance back at the door. The fact that Black Doom had been here without any guards or personnel keeping watch over him was very odd indeed. He suddenly became aware of the feeling of paranoia settling in; it would be awfully suspicious for them to find Shadow with their new captive after declining the request to join them.

"I awoke here; I'm not certain when I arrived."

_Then they could be coming back at any time…_

He needed to act quickly and decide what he was to do with his nemesis.

But…hold on a moment – what was he doing? He was actually questioning whether or not to leave Black Doom there? Shadow couldn't believe himself; here he was, claimed to be the hero of the entire Earth and he was actually considering releasing the criminal that was responsible for endangering the planet in the first place. He blinked, glaring at the floor as his mind was cast deep into thought, exploring the emotions and turmoil he had gone through the previous day. Such spiraling emotions…he actually almost had killed himself for killing Black Doom…

He had no idea what he was to do; his entire mind was split down the middle, just as his very genetics were. Half wanted to see him struggle and cry out of misery and agony. That alien bastard deserved it, losing his blood for all he had spilled, but half never wanted to imagine him that way. He was supposed to be the esteemed ruler of the universe; hell, he was Shadow's true father. One thing was for certain, though; Shadow didn't want to see Black Doom fall into the hands of the military, much less him as a lowly test subject. Even if he was a despicable tyrant, he didn't deserve this fate.

Shadow had decided.

He turned to the side, eyes locked on a set of steel cabinets on the wall. Suddenly feeling a burst of determination, Shadow went for them, throwing them open and furiously searching through their contents. First and foremost, if they were to escape this place, they needed medical supplies for the both of them. He found himself shoving the unnecessary unknown bottles off the shelves and onto the floor, but even knowing this, he didn't seem to mind. His concentration was focused on finding any bandages of any sort…

Black Doom winced, his head throbbing as bottles began to hit the floor. The clamor would have been annoying to his sensitive hearing in the first place, but with such nasty pain coursing through every fiber of his body, it was more than intolerable.

"What the hell are you doing?" he growled, eyes closed in irritation. Shadow said nothing, continuing to rummage through the metal cabinets. Black Doom was displeased with the silence. "Shadow, stop at once! I'll have you know that my head hurts like –"

Suddenly, something light and soft landed on Black Doom's chest. He opened his eyes, blinking downward, seeing a roll of gauze rise and fall with every breath he took. Before he could ask anything more, a few dark towels landed in the same place.

"Shadow…?" the alien asked again, his tone humbly confused. Shadow returned to his bedside, snatching up one of the restraints with his own glowing hand. Almost instantly, the blue vanished, and the hedgehog tore through it like paper. Black Doom's eyes widened as he started in on the others.

_He's…rescuing me…?_

"These chaos inhibitors are easy to break through…" Shadow muttered beneath his breath, almost scoffing as he removed one at Black Doom's ankles. "G.U.N. hasn't quite cracked chaos energy yet, I see…"

Shadow's strength was beginning to be replenished as each restraint lost its dim light; all he was doing was absorbing the concentrated energy. He couldn't quite understand what exactly these devices had been made to do, but being compiled of such rich energy, Shadow could infer something. Rather than absorbing the energy that was living inside of Black Doom, it was made to withstand almost any resistance from any being in the universe. Because Black Doom's energy was diminished, it seemed to still be working in this case.

The alien dared not to budge as the hedgehog undid his bindings, as his entire body began to feel a widespread sting; that, and he was most dumbfounded. The same could be said for Shadow as well; why he was doing such a generous act to someone who he swore eternal opposition to was beyond him, but Shadow knew it was of his own free will. His mind wasn't being manipulated; it was completely his decision to set him free, but he knew that Black Doom was shocked at the action, to say the least. He had to be expecting some sort of explanation; hell, he himself was searching for one. The black blur said what popped in his mind first, letting instinct hopefully guide him in the right direction.

"These people have taken my entire family away from me," Shadow mumbled. "I will never let it happen again."

It was the truth. Humans still never sat well with Shadow, despite the promise he made to his late human friend, and it only hurt more that his co-creator was killed by them. Losing his human family harmed him in unthinkable ways; losing his biological alien family, he had to admit, was hard to recover from as well.

At this point, Black Doom swore he was simply hallucinating from blood-loss and head trauma. Shadow, the very scum who gave him these wounds and made him this way, implying that the alien leader was family to him? Unthinkable…

As Shadow removed the last binding from Black Doom's left wrist, he stepped back and walked towards the door. "Let's go before someone finds us…"

Seeing the hedgehog move so swiftly toward the exit and offering no further assistance sent Black Doom's head into a whirl. The last instance where he tried to stand on his own, much less take a step forward, resulted in a pitiful collapse. He didn't want to know what Shadow would say or how he would react to seeing him fall. The alien merely nodded as he set the cloths and bandages aside, easing his way up to a sitting position, cringing with every inch of movement. He hadn't felt such pain in at least a millennium.

Shifting his legs to hang over the side of the table, Black Doom dared not to look up at Shadow, deeply ashamed of himself. He could have asked for assistance, but never in his life had he ever done such a degrading act, and this would not be his first time – not with Shadow. He would have to do this alone. And it couldn't possibly be too difficult, he scoffed in his head; the humans walked and stood on their own every day, and their intelligence is significantly low!

With this in mind, Black Doom slowly lowered his feet to the tile floor below, wincing at the cold once again, his hands clamped tightly around the railings of the table. Struggling with pain and desperate for stability, the alien hedgehog's muscles trembled violently, easing only when both feet were flat on the ground.

"Come on," Shadow growled, crossing his arms impatiently. Black Doom didn't bother to look up at him, merely casting an uneasy scowl at his feet's place. He wished he could adhere to Shadow's commands for once, but it wasn't reasonable, especially now – now came the hard part.

After a moment's hesitation, his hands left the railing slowly, trailing down to his sides. He could feel Shadow's ruby eyes look him over as he moved so slowly, and it made him want to knock his head clean off, but he resisted. He needed to focus everything he had in balancing himself.

As he left the railing's sanctuary, he felt as if he were swaying uncontrollably. Panicking, he reached his arms out for something – anything for support, but only found the chilled air. He wasn't certain how, but he shifted his weight forward in a frenzy to keep upright. It was too much, however, and he was headed for the floor.

Shadow quickly took note of the situation, lunging forward despite the throbbing wounds on his body, arms extended for his creator. Black Doom landed in them, his body heavy with shame and fear, but he humbled himself enough to hold fast to his son's arms. The hedgehog lifted him up more to his feet, hanging on tightly to his shoulders. He could feel something warm seep through his glove in doing so.

"Can…can you stand?" Shadow could barely believe such a question was coming out of his mouth for a variety of reasons, but the answer was delivered through a slow and silent shake of the head.

They might as well have been painting targets on themselves, Shadow bitterly thought. To say they were dead hedgehogs walking would be an understatement; with Black Doom not knowing how to stand, much less walk on his own, escaping from the G.U.N. base would be nearly impossible.

…Nearly. As much as it pained him to do so, Shadow moved the pair over towards the table again, giving support to Black Doom as he turned around.

"Grab onto my shoulders," Shadow said, a twinge of anger in his voice. The alien did so hesitantly. Shadow moved his arms backwards, scooping the alien's new legs up; Black Doom made a stifled noise of surprise and protest, but made no action to discourage Shadow. He looked around him, surprisingly almost content with his surroundings now that he was higher-up than he once was. Shadow turned his front to the table. "Here, grab that stuff and we'll get out of here."

Black Doom reached out, snatching up the supplies with ease, but stared at his hand in confusion. It felt…odd, to say the least, but he had a stable grip on the items.

_Two more than I need…_

"Hey!"

Both the hedgehogs' heads snapped in the direction of the door. Two men in bright white labcoats stood in the doorway, glaring intently at the two, one fiddling urgently at the side of his belt. Shadow returned the scowl, gripping Black Doom's legs as a sign to hold on tightly. Though appearing unmoved by the two men's sudden appearance, he stiffened, realizing that his hands were occupied, thus rendering any of his attacks useless for the time being. Before they had a chance to make a move, the one scientist drew a pistol from his belt and aimed it square for the pair.

Of course, even if they were scientists, they were G.U.N. soldiers by heart.


	4. Escape

_Here we are, right on schedule! _

_I'm thinking 2 week increments at the max...I know, it sounds long, but keep in mind that this is a MAX deal. This past week was nasty emotionally for me...had to just take a real small break. So if that were to ever happen again, 2 weeks. But hopefully it won't be that long every single time. Follow me on deviantART for details! _

_Action action! There's some cursing here and there this round as well...that is, in fact, why this story's rated T! XD Nothing too serious. Just heads up. _

_Enjoy!  
>-Laz<em>

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><p>An ear-piercing blast cut through the air, sending Black Doom's heart (and head) pounding. The bullet bounced off the table right next to his right shoulder, landing on the ground with an innocent "tink." Black Doom never understood human-made projectiles, but a fraction of his mind always paid heed to them, noting their merciless piercing nature. Normally he wouldn't worry too much about being hit, as anything on his body could easily be healed within a couple of seconds, but here, it was definitely a problem.<p>

He tightened his grip on Shadow, who only stepped further back, Black Doom's spines just grazing the table; both their minds were scattered, uncertain of what to do or how to act in a tricky situation such as this. The men were growing more impatient by the second, and they could feel it in the air.

"Shadow, drop him!" the man without the gun shouted. Though it seemed as though this human had no weapon on his person, something about him still gave off waves of foreboding. The other stood steady, aim still directly locked on the bandaged ebony hedgehog. "You don't know what's going on…that hedgehog's sure as hell not normal…!"

As for Shadow himself, he was tempted to tell them both that he knew of this "strange" hedgehog's identity, but kept his mouth shut. Any mention of knowledge of this being would never end well for him. He dropped his head very subtly, eyes glued to the exit that was about the two humans, wishing that he had the energy to teleport both he and the alien out of the room altogether. Alas, he was trapped with no means, or hope, of escaping.

"Last chance, Shadow…" the armed man growled, displeased with the heavy silence between the pairs. Black Doom furrowed his brow, actually ducking slightly behind Shadow's quills; never would he have hid in such a manner, but here, he was so helpless, and so was Shadow. He couldn't seem to shake the feeling of impending permanent death…

Another shattering blast met the air, and a bullet nicked the side of Shadow's leg, knocking his balance off-kilter. He grunted, hands loosening significantly on his hold of Black Doom, and crashed to the floor, the alien hedgehog himself sailing the opposite direction. Black Doom hit the chilled floor as well, making a noise of pain and protest, snapping his eyes shut. He put a hand to his head, nursing the dull ache that was now spreading through his skull, blinking his eyes open. The heavy clunks of footsteps met his ears, growing louder as the man's shadow cast over the hedgehog's body. Black Doom looked up, wincing, only to see the hollow center of a gun pointed directly for his skull.

"If you know what's good for ya, you'll get back up on that table."

The alien leader was more than ready to reject, but the same could not be said for his preparedness for physically emphasizing his refusal. He only blinked, bringing a weak hand up to his chest level as if to protest.

"Bl…Black…!" a weakened, stammering voice cried out to his left. His gaze shifted briefly over to Shadow, where he had been pinned down by the other scientist. The hybrid struggled weakly beneath the human, a rare sight to be sure, but could tell that the impact with the floor had done him physical damage, reminding him of his severe wounds that were scattered across his body.

It was, however, Shadow that was in question, and there was much resistance still; enough for the scientist's labcoat to shift now and then, briefly showing something small in one of the pockets. It was cylindrical, with something else protruding out of the top of it; a needle. Though he could assume it was for Black Doom himself, he sensed that it wouldn't be hesitated to be used on Shadow. He was in danger.

"Shadow –!" he started, interrupted by the brief cocking of the pistol from above his head.

"You best be worryin' about yourself." The man scoffed, unmoved by Black Doom's partial plea for Shadow's release. The alien slowly returned his focus to the threat looming above him, giving him a weak scowl. Seeing how he could not flee very well from the man, nor could he fare well in a physical fight in this condition, he needed to improvise, and quickly. Out of his piqued peripheral vision, Black Doom caught a glimpse of the once-threatening mobile tray of those razor-sharp tools, and it was close enough to him that he could reach out and touch it with ease. His mind was struck with a grim idea.

His arm suddenly extended to his right, grabbing hold of the unit and flipped it over to its side, the metal tray crashing against the floor loudly. The man jumped back, smirking to himself as if he had dodged his adversary's true attack. This time not fazed by the ear-piercing noise, Black Doom directed his focus to all the intricate tools splayed on the floor as the human approached him again, weapon aimed for the alien's head.

"You're pretty clumsy now, aren'tcha?" he laughed. The hedgehog discretely took the sharpest tool that lay closest to him, his third eye doing the searching for him. "Not so high and mighty now that you're just a – "

Without warning, Black Doom lunged for one of the man's legs, thrusting the scalpel through his clothing and impaling his shin. The sour scent of human blood encircled his nose as the man's sheer cry of pain sliced through the air. Normally the alien would have delighted himself in such screams of pain, but here, his heart was racing in genuine fear and panic that his sadism was long-forgotten. The man stumbled back clumsily, blood staining his khaki trousers, fighting the urge to fall to the ground and clutch his wound.

"You…you little shit…!"

The hedgehog proceeded to flip himself over on his stomach, pulling his body along with his hands desperately. He had no idea how to work these legs of his, and he was in no mood to try, and for once he began to ignore the decency of this action. To prevent his wound on his abdomen from grinding against the tiles, he propped himself up higher, quickly dragging himself along. Things never went well when improvisation was the plan, especially in a situation as dire as this, but he could only hope that Shadow would take over for him from here…

Black Doom's ears twitched, hearing movement above him, and just as he was about to duck around the corner, his ankle was snatched up and heaved over and onto the table. Once again his head throbbed violently, his skull being slammed against the weakly-cushioned apparatus harshly. He cursed under his breath, shockwaves of burning knives cascading through his veins. The alien felt something hard and hollow press up against a spot just shy of his third eye; another cold shock to his body. He was in for hell now, he swore.

"That was the last thing you'll ever do…"

Somehow, he found his new legs kicking and flailing in the air, desperately struggling to get out of the man's custody. He cried vile insults in his native language, cursing the man's ancestors and any generations that would follow, wishing that he was still in his familiar body with his familiar powers. Only then could he truly show what he was capable of.

Luck was on his side, though, as Shadow's captor noticed the commotion that was happening on the autopsy table. His eyes widened, loosening his grip on the still-conscious hedgehog significantly as he issued a direct, pressing command.

"Don't shoot him, idiot!" he yelled. Shadow froze, realizing who this was concerning; he had heard crashing and clamor over to his right, yes, but he had to keep all his focus on this blasted scientist. He suddenly felt the dire need to escape and help Black Doom – and God knew how much he didn't want to ever have to feel that desire. "You'll destroy him as a specimen! You might compromise something!"

Shadow longed to call out his creator's name, but kept his mouth shut in fear of blowing his own cover. He himself was beginning to lose energy; if he lost consciousness, the hope of rescuing Black Doom from his permanent death would be shattered.

"Tch, fine…" his cohort growled, narrowing his eyes with discontent. The alien could tell easily how disappointed he was that he was not able to take his life away, and he bitterly laughed at him internally.

His mood suddenly dropped as the human began to shift his grip on Black Doom. The leader ceased for but a moment as the scientist tossed the gun by the alien's leg, digging around in his pocket somewhat hurriedly for the next plan of action. Out from the man's front coat pocket came a syringe, much like the other, but he could tell clearly that this one indeed had a clear liquid inside. The alien could feel his new ears fall flat against his head.

"We'll just have to sedate ya a little bit, then…" a grim smirk spread across the human's face, and it struck blackened hatred within the alien leader. He continued his struggling even more so now, pulling at his arm as it was pushed against the table.

A sharp stinging sensation danced across his wounds, causing a stifled grunt to escape Black Doom's chest; so much aggravation to his body had occurred within the past few moments and he hadn't realized it until now. Even the arm he was trying to win back began to bleed dark liquid once again. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before he would pass out.

No, he suddenly growled in his head. It wouldn't end like this. Being shamefully defeated on this rock once was more than enough; it would not happen again. He swore it wouldn't. He clenched his fists, fighting through the lasting pain, snapping his eyes shut. A flame of rage had been sparked inside of him; he was sick of these humans, tired of this planet, and had enough with losing…

Shadow made one final struggle, attempting to slide his wrists through the man's hold, but couldn't bear the stinging in his arm any longer.

"D-dammit, let go of me…!" he stammered, voice cracked as blood seeped through his bandages. Seeing this as an opportunity, his captor released the pain-encased arm to dig through his own pocket, following his comrade's suit in pulling out an identical needle – the needle that Black Doom had noticed before. Shadow swallowed the knot in his throat, assuming the worst of the drug that sloshed inside the syringe. He never was one for needles, either.

"Shadow, I'll tell you this right now," The scientist said, his voice low. The hedgehog growled back, expecting nothing good to come of whatever he was going to say. "Because of what you've seen, and what you've tried to do, you'll be kept here in the base for a while."

The ebony hybrid found his words jammed in his chest. These people…these people were monsters…

"I hate for it to come to this, but I'm just doing my –"

Suddenly, surges of black erupted through the metal floor, three breaking through next to Shadow's sides. The hedgehog winced, clearly not expecting, nor commanding said streams of darkness, but merely kept still. The scientist above him, however, was much different, in that he audibly gasped, shrieking pathetically in terror and shock as they wound themselves around his abdomen hastily. Shadow's heart raced, his mind relating such a sight to that of a monster grabbing at his prey with appendages, ready to scarf it down in a ravenous manner. It had secretly been one of his fears during the invasion; to be eaten by one of Black Doom's creatures…he had kept it shut away in his mind until now.

The floor was icier than before, Shadow noted as the human was lifted into the air carelessly. He had never felt such coldness in his life. Struggling to sit up all the way and nursing his arm with his other hand, the hedgehog watched with wide eyes as the agent was tossed across the room, landing on the floor with a dull thud. His crimson eyes stared after the now-unconscious man that lay limp on the floor, wondering where such appendages had come from. A cold breeze whistled by Shadow's ears, and soon after the other man followed, flying through the air and slamming against the wall. The black had vanished into thin air.

"Wh…what was…?" Shadow stammered, ears falling against his head. He turned back to the medical table, seeing a shivering Black Doom halfway propped up. His hand was weakly stretched out in front of him, his expression weak, yet stunned and confused as well. "Did you do that?"

"I…believe so…somehow…" the alien mumbled tiredly. Whatever he had done was taking a toll on his already-low energy, but he fought to keep himself conscious; he needed to get out of this place intact with Shadow, and fast.

Taking note of his creator's worsened state, Shadow hastened over to Black Doom's side, hands latching onto his legs and sliding him to the edge of the table. The alien leader, though surprised by the sudden movement, found that he had no energy to protest, and let himself fall into the mercy of his biological child. As his legs hung limply from the edge, Shadow swiped the roll of gauze, looped his arms beneath Black Doom's knees, and hoisted him onto his back.

"Hang on tight." Shadow said, certain that they would make it out of the room this time. His shoulders were squeezed weakly, and Shadow read it as a plea to hurry. Suddenly the hybrid began to feel a pang of fear for the alien's life…

Without a moment more, Shadow lunged forward, beginning to run as fast as his wounded legs could carry him. He bit through the pain, especially the fresh sting that the bullet's graze had granted him; again he cursed beneath his breath as he turned out of the doorway. Running would drain more of his physical energy, and it didn't help that he had no way of navigation around the newly constructed ward. With a huff, he darted down the hallway and made a right, continuing down and away from the direction of the commander's office.

The halls were silent, save for the heavy footsteps of Shadow's, and it greatly pleased both the hedgehogs. The longer the military went without knowledge of Black Doom's escape, the better. Shadow, however, knew that the entire facility was under tight surveillance, and it wouldn't be long before they would be spotted. The thought of this gave a spring into Shadow's step, but just as he did so, he fumbled, losing his footing only slightly. It was enough to shake him off balance, and Black Doom certainly felt it. Though all three of his eyes were closed and head limply resting upon the other's out of pure exhaustion, his perfectionist ideals shone through.

"Mind your footing…" he grumbled, his speech uneven. As much as Shadow wanted to throw the alien down the hall for such a critique, he merely paused, gathering his composition and continuing onward.

"You weren't sedated, were you?" Shadow asked, his tone uninterested and monotone. He felt Black Doom's head move side to side slowly.

"No, but I'm – nngh…!" the alien trailed off, feeling sharp pains in his stomach. He took a few breaths to regain himself and continued. "I'm very exhausted, and I think I'm losing…"

"S-shut up; you'll be fine…" Shadow mumbled, his bandages now soaked through with his dark blood. His eyes grew heavy, longing for a rest, even a small one. His pace slowed to a jog. Black Doom's ears perked as the speed decreased suddenly, shifting his head so that it looked directly forward. His third eye atop his forehead squinted, only to narrow after noticing that there was no exit still in sight.

"Shadow, you can't stop; it's too much of a risk; I'm worn as well, but we shouldn't – "

Loud sirens sliced through the air, sending an aching throb through both the hedgehogs' heads. Red lights mounted on the ceiling began to shine angrily throughout the hall; Shadow glanced above uneasily, but remained determined to keep his cool, even as his ears picked up distant shouting from behind them. The military was fast to act, that was certain, and Black Doom grumbled lowly in response. He elevated his voice to command his creation.

"Faster."

He wasn't sure if it was of his own will or not, but Shadow found his feet carrying them faster than before. Deciding not to question it, he continued onward, holding onto the alien as tight as he could in doing so. Quick pops and bangs pierced the air around the couple. Shadow cursed as one barely missed his head, summoning a pale green shield of light behind them briefly, deflecting a fraction of the bullets that whizzed through the air. His head felt light in doing so, and he brought the shield down, feeling scarce when it came to chaos energy. He really needed that rest to rejuvenate himself…

"Save it," Black Doom agreed with his creation's actions, his eyes heavy. "You're going to need that energy to get us out of here…"

Shadow realized how correct he was; using Chaos Control on one person would be difficult enough in the condition Shadow was in, but two would be nearly impossible. He withheld the urge to scatter chaos spears behind them, especially as his shoulders felt heavier suddenly. Shadow looked over his shoulder, only to see the wounded hedgehog looking worse than before. He started to question his well-being, but was interrupted by the alien's low, quiet voice.

"I'll try to…loan…you some…" Black Doom muttered, his speech slurred.

"What?" Shadow asked, not fully comprehending. Black Doom didn't respond, his consciousness vanished for the time being. Shadow spat a curse once again, feeling how much heavier the alien was now. As his insides felt tightened with the sense of urgency, he quickly dashed over to a door, swinging it open as he felt no presence of life behind it.

Men's shouts and the twangs of bullets were the only things Shadow could hear at that point; he used the door as a temporary shield as more and more shots rang out. Clearly the humans didn't mind killing Shadow now that he was helping a wanted terrorist. He waited for the opportune moment, then snatched the door handle and slammed it shut. The sharp noises were only muffled, gunshots ceased, but he heard loud, booming voices commanding for all the men to go into the room they now resided in.

After setting the alien leader down onto the floor, Shadow locked the door tightly. He knew that even with the lock in place, he hadn't much time to work. The soldiers' brute strength would break through the door easily; tending to both their wounds would have to wait, unfortunately. He backed up slowly, casting an uneasy glance at the unconscious hedgehog on the floor. He crouched down, checking for any vital signs, catching himself actually hoping that he was still alive. Black Doom's limp body felt cold as ice, however, and right away Shadow could tell that such a temperature was not normal, not even for an alien race.

Eyes darting around the room, he caught a glimpse of a midnight-colored coat of sorts. Grabbing it, he felt the soft cotton texture, deeming it to be good enough for the alien leader to wear. He himself had never felt his original robe and its material, but he could guess that it was some alien equivalent to cotton. Shadow only hoped that he wouldn't complain and whine about how "rough" it felt. Carefully, he leaned down to Black Doom's level, settling the coat's shoulders on the unconscious alien's own gently. He didn't bother to put his arms through, nor did he button it up, for he knew that there were raw wounds still to be treated. Already, however, Shadow noticed that the sleeves were far too long for Black Doom's arms; he could only predict that Shadow would be forced to fix said flaw.

The voices drew nearer, and Shadow's heart stopped for a brief moment. He threw himself onto the alien leader, snapped his eyes shut, and conjured all the chaos power he could find within every cell of his body.

The door flew open, slamming against the wall, and the sounds of cocking guns swarmed the entryway.

"Freeze, both of you!" one shouted. His demand was absorbed into the still, dense air, as there was not an opposition to the small fleet of soldiers at the door. The room was empty.

"Shadow…!" the commander started, shoving his way past the soldiers. His eyes widened as they beheld nothing; no signs of life, no signals of hiding. Both Shadow and Black Doom were gone. His brows furrowed darkly at the spot that the two hedgehogs once had been. "Dammit…Goddammit!"

"Sir, what do we – "

"Find them. Find them both. Bring them back dead or alive," their supreme officer barked, gloved hands forming tightly wadded fists. "I'm getting sick and tired of this cat-and-mouse game."


	5. Waking Up

_A little on the short side...both this and the next chapter are a little short, but it does start to peek into Black Doom's past and such..._

_Oh! The angst. XDD RAWR.  
>-Laz<em>

* * *

><p>There was nothing he remembered other than the bleak, monotone colors swirling about him. His memories, his experiences; all tightly knitted together in a void of pitch blackness. He journeyed through them, watching his childhood, his first planetary conquest, seeing the stars and remembering his mother. Planet after planet, war after war. He picked himself up, feeling a sense of pride well up in his chest. Over the span of two and a half millennia, he himself had done all of this. He was perfecting and purifying all the tainted things in the universe. Thanks to him, it was all so bright and controlled.<p>

Then, as his memories approached this time and this place, everything cracked. His death.

Again that sharp pain struck his stomach like a bolt of lightning, cutting him through, and he couldn't hold back a small yelp of pain. Everything had gone so wrong, all because he…he had…

"Stop moving like that."

His three eyes flickered open, realizing that the sting was real. The voice registered in his mind as male, and the last thing he could remember was trying to escape from the military base. Black Doom could only assume the worst, especially with the monotone inflection to the voice. There was a bright light overhead. It was only slightly warmer than it had been. Was he still in that human-occupied place? Upon trying to move his arms, a rough fabric brushed against both of them, sending a chill down the alien's spine. The voice, this time more loudly, spoke again.

"Try not to move. You have a lot of wounds."

"Sh…Shadow?" the alien found himself speak his creation's name in a helpless, yet hopeful manner, and it sickened him. It was, however, true that the hybrid was his only hope of survival in this foreign place, much less the only familiar one there. There was a moment's hesitation before the voice spoke again.

"What?"

"You're…" Black Doom stammered, tolerating as much pain as he could. "…You're an idiot."

Shadow sighed at the bland insult, internally counterattacking him with one of his own. Though now irritated with him, Shadow was somewhat relieved that the alien had regained consciousness after nearly an hour of waiting. Said time interval was filled with nothing but contemplation, as well as scolding himself for doing what he had done. Acting on such a quick, thoughtless action was so different from his character; so why did he do it? He was ready to abandon Black Doom and leave him for the humans, but every time he looked at his terrible condition, he refused to leave his side. He decided not to ponder on this curiosity too much, but he knew he would at a later time.

He felt a miniscule pang of guilt as he saw Black Doom's sloppily-attended-to wounds. He wanted to discuss things before starting in on dressing his injuries, as well as clean him up overall, so he left him be with a small amount of gauze patched over his worse wounds. They needed to use the only roll of gauze sparingly.

As the alien's grip on reality began to tighten, he attempted to prop himself up, and, much to his relief, felt a tree support his back. His limbs ached, as well as his numerous injuries, but he felt more at ease than he did before, especially in the new environment he was in. His three eyes beheld an airy forest area with emerald grass, towering trees, and little to no noise; the only thing his ears could pick up on was a small trickling noise to his very far right. Black Doom leaned over, squinting at the source of the small noise, finding it to be an extremely small pond that sourced an equally little stream. Blinking, he let his head rest back on the tree, lifting a hand to his head and rubbing it, feeling a small headache engulf his skull.

"Where is this place?" he asked indifferently. Shadow shifted, folding his hands in his lap.

"This is where I've been staying," he explained, clearing his throat, "before, during, and…after the invasion."

The alien leader made a small noise of understanding, giving a small nod in approval. It was clear that he was not happy or open to admit that he actually did find it a splendid little place, as it happened to be located on such a despicable planet. Secretly, however, he was pleased that Shadow had chosen such a serene and tranquil place to reside. A heavy silence filled the air, weighing down on them before Black Doom suddenly shifted.

"Hold on a moment…" he trailed off, picking up his hands to his chest level and staring at them. The ends of the black cotton sleeves of the jacket trailed down to his lap, his gloved hands completely covered. "What is this thing? How did I – "

The two Black Arms locked eyes with one another, and suddenly Black Doom's narrowed darkly.

"**This reeks of human**…" he growled lowly, eyes aflame with intense rage. "Why the hell did you put me in this?"

Shadow growled back, clenching his fists in anger. Typical, he scoffed in his mind; he went out of his way to save him from being dissected like a frog, got him something warm to wear, and tended to his wounds, yet here Black Doom was, scolding him like a child. It infuriated him.

"You were freezing! What the hell else was I supposed to do?" Shadow replied, his voice elevated. "If I hadn't got that jacket for you, you'd be complaining about how cold you were. So you're welcome for everything."

_You would be a lousy servant, _Black Doom huffed in his mind. He eyed the dark sleeves carefully before finding where his true hands ended. Taking the edge of one of the sleeves, he began to rip the fibers of the fabric down to his thumb, tearing it horizontally after that; he repeated it with the other side, dropping the scraps of cloth to the ground. Shadow watched, brow furrowed.

"The least you could have done was adjust it for me…" Black Doom mumbled. Shadow heaved his arms onto the ground in rage.

"Yeah, sorry," Shadow spat sarcastically, his nerves now at their breaking point, "sorry for not having the damn time to do that for you. In case you haven't noticed, I've been a little preoccupied lately!"

"Raise your voice again and I'll snap you in half." The alien snapped, his eyes narrowed. Shadow scoffed.

"Will you? Really? Because last time I checked, you could barely stand on your own."

Black Doom felt a fire burn in his chest at the statement, remembering his current form. He could hold back his anger at the hybrid no longer; in a flood of emotions, his temper broke free of its prison and rushed out into his voice.

"I didn't ask to be saved by you, you pathetic ingrate!" he shouted, his three eyes snapped shut. No longer did he wish to ever see his biological son again. "You made me this way! You spoiled everything; my family, my home, and that worthless, empty promise!"

What said promise was remained unclear to Shadow then, but he attempted to restrain himself from interrupting the resurrected being; a part of him almost found his outburst to be interesting, as he had never seen Black Doom in such a fit of rage before. The hedgehog's heart raced, though, as he continued.

"I feared that something like this would happen…I despised Gerald the moment I saw him," he coughed, his smaller lungs finding it hard to retain sufficient air amounts, "I knew something was off, but I went ahead and did it…!" A groan of hatred and regret escaped his chest as his hands plastered themselves over his face. He truly recognized now how much trouble he was in. "Gods, and look at me now, at the mercy of my own treacherous son!"

The Black Arms hybrid nearly shot back a blunt remark, but the sight of dark liquid seeping through Black Doom's ivory bandages brought all hostility to an end in his mind. His crimson eyes widened in slight distress, and despite the minor pain running along his arms and legs, he leaned towards the alien leader with a hand extended to him in warning.

"Black Doom, you're…"

As his hand grew nearer to the hedgehog in question, Black Doom suddenly swatted him away, slapping his wrist harshly. "Don't touch me!"

Shadow persisted, fearful of the consequences that he might have to face even if the alien passed. With that in mind, he raised his voice to match the intensity of his biological father's. "You're bleeding! Calm down!"

Black Doom froze for but a moment at the announcement, but as he looked down at his torso to see his bodily fluid leaking through the gauze, his eyes nonchalantly accepted the rather gruesome sight. This is what he wanted to happen last; it was not common that he lost his temper in such a way, but he knew that his well-being suffered minor damage when he did. But now, he cursed, he had overdone it. For once in his life, he feared for his safety; his children were not around to monitor his health. It was merely Shadow nearby. Nodding subtly, the alien swallowed, his mouth going dry, yet he was determined to keep his cool in front of Shadow.

"I…I bet it's what you want to see." Black Doom stammered upon his sentence, his voice cracking only slightly. Shadow blinked in response, watching him tug his oversized coat over his stomach to hide the heavily-bleeding wound. "After what you've done, I bet you like seeing me in pain like this."

Whether Black Doom meant to pull a guilt trip over him or not, the remark struck a sour note with the black blur, and he couldn't help but to cast his eyes to the side. Did Black Doom really mean that, or was he just trying to spark internal conflict? Shadow already had enough to worry about as it was.

"Don't," he growled, "you shouldn't feed words to me like that. I…I really don't feel that way…"

Black Doom scoffed, his cheeks turning red. His stomach's heavy wound began to feel the coarseness of the coat brush up against it, and little stings began to run around on his midsection.

"I'd disagree. You seemed pretty devoted to what you were doing yesterday, and – "

"**Don't you dare** **talk about yesterday**." Shadow suddenly shouted. The alien blinked in response, admittedly surprised at the sharp response he had heard, especially with the ever-calm, ever-quiet Shadow the Hedgehog. He wasn't necessarily intimidated by his son at that moment, but it certainly shook him from his regular disposition. Clearly Shadow's feelings were conflicted; that part, Black Doom admitted, was quite surprising, yet strangely endearing.

After a steady pause, the hedgehog spoke again. "Listen," Shadow said quietly as he stood and turned toward the area of the water, "I'm going to go ahead and clean myself up so I can start healing. I'll get you washed up later, but right now, just…just stay put."

Black Doom neither nodded nor shook his head in response, but instead sat there, a monotone expression splayed upon his face. He never took orders from any being in the universe, but knew that he had no choice in this situation. It was easy to tell what Shadow was truly saying: he needed to be alone.

As the black hedgehog started toward the stream of water, the alien leader looked toward the ground, ears falling.

_I don't think I could do anything but stay where I am…_

He sighed quietly, starting to get the nerve to ask if he could accompany him. The sickening feel of dried and fresh blood mixing together on his fur began to nag and wear on his sanity, but he knew it was best to leave Shadow be for the time. Both of them needed to gather their thoughts.

For now, Black Doom rested his head against the tree once more, placing his hand over his stinging torso, and closed his eyes. He began to wait.


	6. Reality Strikes

_Oh. My. Goodness.  
>WHERE HAVE I BEEN? WHERE HAS THIS STORY GONE? <em>

_I am so sorry for such a long hiatus...school just piled on top of me like a mountain, and then I had writer's block on top of THAT...geh..._

_Good news is that I have picked up on this again and am planning to continue updating regularly. One of my new year's resolutions is to finish things I start. I started this, so Imma finish it! And boy, do we have a ways to go! _

_Short chapter, but the one following this will be long-long-long! Once again, sorry for the delay, but please enjoy!  
>-Laz<em>

* * *

><p>An icy cold splash of water again collided with Shadow's face, the hedgehog, this time, not budging. His hands stayed where they were on his face, cupped around his eyes and cheeks as he breathed heavier than he would have liked. The clear liquid felt so serene, so calming, yet his face burned with white-hot intensity. Three times he did this; three times his cheeks remained their abnormally warm state. He could not calm down; more importantly, he could not believe himself. With every closing of his eyes he saw himself carrying Black Doom upon his back, sprinting down G.U.N.'s hallways. The images and the guilt would not cease.<p>

"Dammit," he cursed beneath his breath as he applied pressure to his face and gritted his teeth. A throb from the side of his head agreed, cuing the hedgehog to growl the curse again and again, escalating in volume. His chest was tight, filled to the brim with indescribable emotions and words he wished to scream. All the answers had been given to him, but he was more confused than before. He swore to never look back on his past and to live his life to the fullest but his past had made an unexpected comeback. His past was sitting under a tree. His past was probably nodding off to sleep. His past had been saved by Shadow himself. His past, the monster that warped his mind against the humans in every chance there was, came back, and it was of Shadow's will that he was there now.

The mere thought sent the black blur into a fit of rage. Tightening his fists, he slammed a stained gloved hand into the small stream, breaking the smooth, easy current. A burst of water encircled his gloved hand, water droplets clinging to the hedgehog's face. His anger was beyond comprehensible; he hated not understanding what his feelings were or what his mind was truly trying to say. He just wanted out of whatever he got himself into, and he wanted out that instant.

He panted. He bled. He stared into the water, his hand still planted firmly under the surface. The water had continued its flow, simply moving around the new intrusion. Shadow watched the stream intently, crimson eyes tense as he mused upon the resurrected alien leader. Yes, resurrected…and as a hedgehog, at that. What happened exactly? Questions began to pile up in his mind, clouding his head even more.

One thing was for certain, however; he had gotten himself neck-deep in trouble with not only his conscience, but with the entire world as he knew it. Shadow worried what Maria was thinking of him, or what the professor would say. He betrayed them…but on the other hand, Shadow saved a life. He was giving Black Doom a second chance, and it was just as Maria had asked – to give second chances to those who had betrayed him.

The black hedgehog shook his head, admitting defeat. Such conflicting thoughts would never get him far, he knew, but he resolved to at least try to calm himself for both their sakes. After a minute of sitting and breathing, his vitals returned to their normal states, temperature slightly chilled with the water dripping from his face. He held his hands tightly, fingers beginning to feel icy as well. The coldness made him wonder how Black Doom was faring on this autumn afternoon with such a light coat…

He coughed, clearing his throat and wiping his face after scooping water into his dry, thirsty mouth. Easing back from the stream, he vowed to himself something he would have never thought of doing: protecting Black Doom at all costs. He would not live in the past, nor the future: he would live in the present, and that meant that he was to help someone who deserved it.

He needed this. He needed someone that was still connected with him, a bond that perhaps would be eternally strong.

With this in mind, Shadow stood, journeying back to where he had left Black Doom.

_He watched the fire in his eyes._

"_I will not let you do this, Black Doom!"_

_It was a shame that he used his strength and will for all the wrong reasons. The small black hedgehog approached him slowly, taking his time; he wondered if he was second-guessing himself now. To help assist in guiding him in the right direction, he snatched the hedgehog's free will up, manipulating it, molding it until it made the mammal kneel before his true master. Yes, his true master – his true father, really. _

_Even as the movement was controlled, that fire in his eyes never wavered. The feeling of his son's ambition made him assumed the worst; things would not end easily. One would win and one would lose, and this time, much like his other oppositions, it would be determined by life and death. So why was it that he felt such hesitation towards ripping him apart at that moment? Any other rebel would suffer that fate. But this…Shadow… _

_Did he want to kill him? Did he truly, honestly wish to see the life drained form this one's eyes?_

_No. No, he did not. But for the sake of his people – his children – he needed to. But wasn't Shadow one of his own as well? _

_So many questions, and yet there was no time to assure himself. He began to prepare for the toughest battles he would ever fight, not because of size or strength, but of his will and knowledge of what was right and wrong. _

_He heard Gerald's voice on the monitors behind him. Someone had hacked his computer system, enabling Shadow to break free from his once-flawless mind controlling ability. The fire had still not died down; if anything, they had grown. He wasn't intimidated, no, but his pride was slowly beginning to shrink into a void of uncertainty and conflict. _

_Shadow lunged. Black Doom teleported. He harnessed the Emeralds' powers, cursing and warning Shadow and commencing his transformation, much to his dislike. This was it – everything he had planned was spiraling out of control, and all he wanted was for everything to be perfect. _

_**Shadow, I…**_

"Black Doom?" Shadow's voice suddenly broke through the alien's dream, shattering it into fragments. Black Doom opened his eyes, now finding himself fatigued beyond belief although it had only been minutes since Shadow stormed off. Now, however, he peered up at the black blur, who was offering a hand down to him. He blinked, heart stuttering over a few beats before he gave an inquisitive look upward. Shadow drew his mouth into a line, seeming embarrassed to speak.

"Come on. Let's get cleaned up a little."

Those words, especially from Shadow, were not something he wanted to hear.


	7. The Water's Healing

_Right on schedule. See? Told you!  
><em>

_This chapter gave me a hard time and was the reason there was such a long hiatus; I tried my best, though, so I hope you enjoy!  
>-Laz<em>

* * *

><p>Indecency was not to be tolerated in Black Doom's mind; if Shadow were to accept his invitation to the Black Arms, he vowed, he would have something made to cover up that scrawny body of his. Since his own childhood, he was taught to respect one's personal space, including his own, and since a certain mysterious tragedy in his younger years, he had taken that moral to a whole new level. Physical contact was not something to be taken lightly. To him, it showed weakness, compassion – it was a way of downgrading or humbling one's self to the other's level, something he would never do.<p>

Within the two millennia of his life, Black Doom followed this personal oath closely and carefully, promising to never break or stray from it. That entire afternoon, that vow seemed to tumble down with each passing moment.

He was literally dragged to where Shadow had gone before, as his legs were as good as useless; even if he could have walked, he would have had to been dragged. Never could he imagine undressing himself in front of someone (especially one who was lower than he), let alone Shadow, the bastard traitor who nearly killed him a day prior.

"At least try to pick up your legs," Shadow mumbled, adjusting the weight of the alien about his shoulders. The hedgehog in question did nothing to ease Shadow's burden.

"If you would have let me see if I could focus my healing powers, you wouldn't have to do this in the first place," he muttered under his breath.

Although both knew that Black Doom's current form altered and complicated the way he could use any of his special abilities, the alien himself knew it even more than Shadow. He could feel everything rearranged; all his figurative locations of his power sources felt askew. It was as if they had been stirred around inside of his soul – Chaos Control, Chaos Spear, Swift Strike – all of them. What if he could never focus and find them all again? His stomach dropped once the thought dawned on him. He almost expressed the new worry in words to his biological son, but he restrained himself. He was almost three millennia old; he could do things on his own and he would.

"I doubt you'd be able to do it in amount of the time we clean our injuries up," Shadow growled, his shoulders beginning to ache. "It's just easier in my head this way. Besides, if your powers are so scattered, you might hurt yourself in the process, and – "

The brief mention of Shadow's concern for Black Doom's safety caused both the ebony hedgehogs' hearts to skip. Shadow cleared his throat, fighting off a small warm sensation from his cheeks. "A-anyways, I heal fast on my own, so you probably won't be like this for too long…"

The alien leader raised a brow in doubt. "So why are you forcing me to 'clean up' if we will heal quickly?"

"Earth isn't exactly all that sanitary."

Black Doom scoffed sarcastically in his native tongue. Shadow picked up on it, brow furrowing. "Listen. Seriously, just be grateful I'm preventing you from ending up ridden with disease."

The alien, although not open to showing gratitude, did silence himself. Shadow was sacrificing a lot for him; in a strange, twisted way, it was as if his wish of Shadow becoming his own slave was coming true. Granted, he would have wanted less sarcasm and insults, but he was indeed doing things for him…

A light trickling noise made Black Doom's new ears twitch. A little fond of the sound, the hedgehog brought his head up and over Shadow's shoulder to see where it was coming from. His eyes suddenly widened, actually stunned at what his eyes beheld. It appeared to be a source of a small creek, and as dull and boring as it seemed, this particular landform held something of significance. It could have been the angle of light at that moment, or that it was certainly more aesthetically pleasing to look at than the countless dying trees they passed; whatever the reason, however, this place was…different.

The sight, he had to admit, was nothing short of beauty. The clear water glimmered in the late afternoon sun, trickling softly against its shallow banks. The floor beneath the surface, though distorted, looked to be of smooth stone. His three eyes could not stop staring at the source, attempting to identify the elements he had read about in one of his books about this planet or simply taking in the overall appearance.

Without a word, Shadow began shifting Black Doom off of his shoulders and onto the ground. The alien steadied himself, following suit, holding Shadow's arm loosely as a crutch to ease down to a sitting position. His body ached, wounds echoing with dull shocks of pain, yet he refused to vocally protest. Whining would get him nowhere.

"It's nice, isn't it?" Shadow said indifferently, noticing the alien's eyes inspecting every inch of the new surroundings. Black Doom quickly turned his head at the comment, pretending to remain unimpressed.

"Much more tolerable than the rest of this dull rock."

Shadow chuckled softly, knowing full well what Black Doom truly felt. It was strange how something as simple as a change in setting could turn this stubborn ruler's mood completely over, he thought. Come to think of it, he realized, Black Doom seemed to be the type that hated any sort of modernization or transformation in society. He never truly expressed it in words, but his overall disposition in the past week implied hatred toward the humans for destroying their planet. He seemed fond of nature, but never thought that the slowly-dying Earth would have an inch left of thriving flora.

With this in mind, Black Doom seemed calm (perhaps even happier) now, Shadow noticed. This would be the most ideal time to start in on getting him ready for the first step in the healing process. He reached for the cotton sleeve, already hating what was to follow, but maintaining a stern and determined demeanor. Upon Shadow's gentle grip on the coat, Black Doom gasped, realizing the hedgehog's intentions. Suddenly, the peaceful alien turned back to his deadly, angry self; he smacked his creation's hands away with power just shy of knocking them off their wrists, shooting glares like daggers at Shadow. In response, the black blur mimicked his expression.

"How dare you…!" Black Doom started, voice shaking and cheeks flushed. The mere thought of someone undressing him, no matter how tattered or inadequate the garment, was outrageous.

"Calm down; I'm just trying to help you!" Shadow shouted, brow furrowing. "If you don't clean up, your wounds will worsen and – "

"**I don't need your help!"** the alien replied a pitch louder than Shadow. His cry echoed throughout the area, shattering the tranquil silence about them. The sounds of birds fluttered high in the tree tops, leaves rustling as they left their homes in fear.

Then, the silence returned, but it was all but serene.

Shadow was motionless; not only had he never heard Black Doom so angry, he heard more of the alien growling voice than he did this new smooth one. He could tell that exclamation held more meanings than one. But was he frightened? Absolutely not. He simply turned away, scoffed, and settled himself into a position that was most comfortable by the bank.

"Suit yourself; I just figured you might appreciate some assistance in your current situation." Shadow said sharply, glaring into the crystal clear water.

Silence fell again. Black Doom did not feel bad about his outburst, nor did he feel ashamed; but he did feel a twinge of guilt, for indeed, Shadow had offered gracious assistance, and he harshly cast it aside. Not only that, but now he was expected to do all of this – whatever it was – by himself. He humbled himself, realizing that there was no possibility that he could manage. He didn't even know what this clear, shiny liquid was before him.

After a moment's hesitation, the alien's ears fell slightly, dark crimson eyes cast to the side in a pitiful yet angry glare. "F…fine. Just at least let me do most of the work…" he mumbled beneath his breath. Shadow half-nodded, barely able to hear his biological father's decision.

"I'll be here if you need help," Shadow added, turning himself to the water's edge. _That is, assuming you'd get over yourself enough to ask me for it._

Black Doom never heard the thought, or if he had, he didn't pay heed to it, as his own mind was completely engulfed in the foreign ideas of doing such…primitive things. On any normal circumstance, he would have easily healed himself, disregarding and simply avoiding painful processes altogether. Now his powers were concentrated in different places, perhaps even unattainable, he feared. Following Shadow's actions would unfortunately have to do.

Upon recognizing that Shadow's attention was focused elsewhere, the alien carefully shrugged off the oversized human clothing, mindful of his aching abdomen. That part, he realized, was the easiest; now that his arms and abdomen were bare and cold, there was the matter of figuring out what in the world this _stuff_ was.

He had half a thought to test it himself – dip a hand in, or perhaps he should find something to cast into it to test for acidity. Trying not to move too much, he peered over at Shadow, who was carefully washing the gash on the side of his head. The liquid seemed to only ail him slightly, but was it his wound that was causing him pain? Black Doom was confused. He finally sighed, giving up and staring down at the small pond of water before him. There was no way out but to ask.

"What…does it feel like?"

Shadow turned his head after wiping excess water off of his face, glancing at Black Doom before realizing what he had truly meant. The alien's three eyes were staring warily at the water before him, brimming with both curiosity and uncertainty. Shadow blinked, easing back. He had probably never felt water in his life, and come to think of it, Earth may have been the only planet he had visited that had it.

"Water?" Shadow confirmed. The alien made a small hum of confirmation. The black hedgehog slowly made his way to Black Doom's side, looking at the same area in the water the other was. Shadow reached down, dipping his hand in and lifting it, letting the liquid trickle down his palm and fingers. What exactly did water feel like? "It's…well, this water's on the cold side…low viscosity, as you can tell…"

Black Doom furrowed his brow, distrusting the liquid more than the hedgehog. Shadow certainly lacked in explanations, the alien grumbled in his head.

"Just put your hand in." Shadow said, bringing his own back to his side. "It won't hurt you."

Black Doom waited for Shadow to repeat his last statement, confirming that it indeed would not burn or consume anything on his person. He slowly dipped his hand in, wincing at the liquid's contact. The coldness stung, yet intrigued him. A small shiver ran down the alien's spine, one of both chill and excitement; how curious this liquid was. He lifted his hand back out, and in a sloshing sound, it resurfaced, dripping with clear beads.

"Ah…" the alien breathed, blinking, holding his hand up and out in the air, watching as more droplets fell. He had seen liquids with the kind of consistency before, but never clear; in fact, he was more fascinated with the fact that this filthy planet made such a beautiful element, and that he had never come across it during the invasion.

Shadow watched him, a small smile making its way upon his face. From where Shadow was, Black Doom looked like a child seeing the world for the first time. Just as Black Doom was about to ask more about the water before them, Shadow spoke up, returning them both to the situation at hand.

"Do you need help with your bandages?"

The alien, snapping out of his daze, nodded only once after a hesitant pause. Shadow swallowed, moving closer to him and undoing the lose knot on the hedgehog's back, gently unwinding the gauze. Upon lifting a layer off of the alien's stomach, Black Doom winced, making a small noise of pain. His fists dug into the earth, snapping his eyes shut.

"C-careful…" he muttered. Shadow continued to move the bloodstained gauze off of him despite the pleas to be gentler and slower. In his eyes, he **was** being gentle; Black Doom was being spoiled.

After being yelled at countless times for being too rough and hasty, all the alien leader's bandages were off, piled neatly behind Black Doom's back. Neither said a word. The alien fought shivers from running down his back; he was so adapted to a comfortably warm environment back home on the Black Comet. Without any robes, he felt as if he might freeze.

"Come on,before I freeze to death…" Black Doom trailed off, hugging his shoulders. Shadow exhaled, looking back at the water's edge.

"It looks deep enough to get into." Shadow started. Black Doom said nothing for a moment, mind engulfed with the thoughts of blankets, fire, and glorious heat. Suddenly he scoffed, fully comprehending Shadow's words.

"If you think I'm going to get into it, you're mistaken," the alien said, his three eyes shutting in disgust. "It's much colder than the air, and I'm already cold."

"It'd be easier if you just get in entirely, but if you feel so strongly about it…" Shadow said, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

Black Doom was stubborn in his ways, but he was already tired of spending so much time without anything covering his body that he was willing to compromise. Black Doom lowered his feet into the chilled water carefully. At some point later, he thought, he might try to fully submerge his body in this liquid, just to see what it felt like, but here, he would not. Perhaps when Shadow wasn't near…

Black Doom craned his neck, deeply curious to see the effect of this action. He saw and felt the water around his ankles, yet it did not hurt him. Interesting, he mused. Slowly, he allowed his shins to submerge. The alien blinked as the water seemed to kindly welcome his entrance. His legs dangled beneath, the gentle current distorting their appearance into streaks of ebony with flecks of deep ruby. It almost gave him the sensation of being in his previous form, legless and all. He fought a thankful smile from forming.

"All I'm doing is just rinsing myself off," Shadow said, seeing that Black Doom had proceeded in getting used to the water. Gently the alien hedgehog scooped water into his hand, pouring it over his scraped arm. It was cold, yet refreshing. Strange, he thought, that something from Earth could be so…lovely.

Quietly, both continued to wash their wounds, mindful of one another. Shadow occasionally peeked at Black Doom out of the corner of his eye to check up on the progress; all seemed well with him. Black Doom did his best to keep his eyes off of the other hedgehog and on his own injuries. It was tempting to scold Shadow for looking at him so many times, but every time he formed words in his head, something on his body throbbed, begging for more of the foreign liquid.

The last instance Shadow glanced at the three-eyed hedgehog, Black Doom had lost his patience. If there was something the half-breed needed to say, he thought, he ought to spit it out. Black Doom turned his head toward Shadow grimly. Feeling a sharp glare in his direction, Shadow's eyes darted away, feeling a strange sense that his father had enough of it. Black Doom was so overly sensitive, he growled in his mind.

Suddenly, Shadow felt a pressure on the back of his skull, something holding tightly onto his quills. Just as he was about to yell out, his head was pushed down into the water. Breathless, Shadow jerked his head upward, only to feel the same resistance push back down on it. He began to wave his arms around above the surface. With a final shove to his head, the hand was gone. Almost instantly Shadow flung his head backwards, gulping the air. He coughed and sputtered, rubbing his eyes as a hearty laugh encircled his ears.

After rubbing his eyes dry of excess water, Shadow glowered to the source of the laugh.

"That was much too easy of an opportunity…" Black Doom smirked, hugging his knees.

Shadow, however, was certainly not amused by the action, the heavy gash on the side of his head now stinging and throbbing in protest. He merely began to wring his quills dry, staying quiet and sending silent deathly looks at Black Doom.

"Mm…I feel better already," the alien smirked, heaving a sigh. His abdomen, however, bled with a different opinion.


	8. Forming a Flame

****_AND WE'RE BACK! I apologize for such a long hiatus, but senior year in high school was just...crazy. I really am sorry! _

_Here we go, chapter 8! Thanks for being so patient!  
>-Laz<em>

* * *

><p>Shadow tied the final knot on the gauze that was firmly wrapped around Black Doom's shin, exhaling a sigh of relief. "There," he muttered, leaning back. Both hedgehogs, now, for the most part, clean, had applied fresh bandages to their wounds. The entire process had taken them nearly an hour to finish, but in the end, the pair certainly felt better than they had before.<p>

The alien blinked, staring at the white bandage around his bare ebony leg. It was such a disgusting contrast; it almost hurt his eyes. He crossed his arms loosely in his lap, baggy sleeves keeping him warm. Since washing himself with the cold water, he found his shoulders trembling often in intervals. Without proper clothing, Black Doom grumbled, Earth was undesirably cold.

Shadow took note of the shivering hedgehog. "It's almost winter. The curious thing is, the sun isn't farther away from the Earth, it's – "

"I know what it winter means." Black Doom interrupted, shaking a shiver off of his spine. "I've read about it. This planet is tilted on its axis."

The black blur blinked, half-stunned that Black Doom would have bothered to read up on Earth's physical characteristics, let alone the planet itself. Come to think of it, Shadow thought, Black Doom knew a lot about Earth; he must have done extensive research on it. A strange move on his part, considering he hated Earth in its entirety.

"You…read about it?" Shadow questioned.

"How else do you think I gather my information?" Black Doom muttered, casting his eyes to the side. "You don't really expect me to invade a planet while ignorant of its nature, do you?"

Shadow narrowed his eyes at the hedgehog, irked by his own curiosity. While this was true, Shadow had a feeling there was something more to Black Doom's prior studies of the planet; it didn't seem unusual for aliens to study their enemy's environment, as many science fiction novels had depicted, but Black Doom was openly stating his knowledge of Earth. It seemed so unlike him.

"Once Sol – your sun, I mean – vanishes beneath the horizon, the Earth's temperature drops." Black Doom's eyes now gazed upward. It was clear that he was looking in the direction of the sky, but his eyes appeared to be reaching toward something in particular, recalling something familiar. "Not deathly freezing, but cold enough. Correct?"

After a moment's pause, Shadow nodded, his eyes fixed on the ground before him. "Yes." He swallowed the knot in his throat, allowing himself to carry on a peaceful conversation with his adversary. "Around here at this time, it can get mildly cold…around forty degrees Fahrenheit."

"Great," Black Doom growled sarcastically, struggling still to keep himself warm. If his calculations were correct, the Comet's average temperature was around seventy-five to eighty degrees constantly. To him, it was a very rude climate change.

For whatever reason, be it the alien's shivering, Shadow's pity, or an unconscious thought rising up from Shadow's mind, something was said that left both the hedgehogs drowned in silence.

"…I can make a small fire if you want." Shadow offered.

Black Doom froze, blinked, and stared up at his creation. He could tell by body language, not facial expression, that he had said that by accident. Although any other time he would have jumped onto the opportunity for Shadow to do so and chuckle to himself about how submissive he was, the alien couldn't conjure up any of his sadism at that moment. Shadow was so serious. Shadow, the very being that cursed Black Doom every chance he could and was eager to take the life from him, was ready to actually do something for Black Doom without question.

This entire day seemed too surreal. Shadow was helping him – so much so that he would have been dead if it weren't for him. And to this time, all he had done was push him aside and offer no thanks…

A sudden shiver down his spine snapped him out of his thoughts. Finally, Black Doom said something.

"If you could." he mumbled. "It's difficult to retain heat in this small form."

Could it be, they both thought, that something was clicking between them?

Without much time at all, Shadow silently gathered nearby sticks and piled them between he and his father. Once he sat back down, he took a small breath and held his palms above it. His hands lit up, a pale green glowing about them, and slowly the sticks began to smoke from the energy's heat. A few seconds later, the wood ignited and chips of wood began to gather into a small ember. Its soft crackling about the pile was strangely comforting to Black Doom. He moved himself closer to it, beginning to feel a small amount of heat radiating off of the fire.

"Resourceful." The alien noted. Shadow made a small noise that signified something of thanks.

It was not long that Black Doom's temperature began to resume its normal state. Although he was still slightly cold for his liking, he admitted that he was grateful for this small fire, no matter how small and pitiful it was. He glanced up at Shadow, who was keeping his distance from the fire, not fazed by the coldness as of then. He frowned, almost hoping that the reason he was avoiding the flame did not have anything to do with Black Doom himself. Nonetheless, he looked back at the crackling flame, focusing on its heat.

Something did, however, make the alien commander look back up at Shadow, particularly at his forearm. The bandage wrapped there was beginning to loosen, most likely due to the activity of gathering the material for the fire. He couldn't turn his mind away from thoughts of the bandage falling off during the night and Shadow's wound worsening.

He hated himself for thinking that way. He tried to distract himself by glancing toward the darkening horizon. He tried to think of his home, his soldiers – anything that was not related to Shadow. If he let himself worry over the traitor, Black Doom wouldn't know what to do. But yes, he realized; he was a traitor. Shadow was a bastard, a rebel, a murderer. All he had to think about was how much he hated this hedgehog and those thoughts would die off in no time.

His perfectionist attitude, however, would never die off. Instead of worrying about Shadow's safety, he could not stop thinking about that goddamn loose knot…

Without realizing it, Black Doom was leaning over the fire, reaching out for Shadow's arm. He had pulled the loose knot tight, but in doing so, he broke through Shadow's personal space. He was touching him.

The hybrid stared down at him in awe; this was the same alien that was attempting to wipe out an entire planet. This was still the Black Doom that tried to kill him. This was a simple gesture, but a gesture of kindness nonetheless, which floored Shadow. Moreover, the spontaneity shocked him. This was not natural…

"Erm…" Shadow trailed off, trying to overcome the wad of emotions that had formed in his chest. "Th…thank you."

Hell had frozen over. The alien suddenly retreated, crossing his arms and tossing his head back.

"I-It was bothering me." Black Doom scoffed, casting his three angered eyes away. His cheeks were tinted the lightest of pink. Clearly he had realized what he had just done, and he quickly began to regret it. He nearly thought to insult Shadow in some way, but for some odd reason, he resisted.

This was, Black Doom decided, his way of thanking him…for now. It made both of them uncomfortable, but Shadow even moreso.

"I'll…go find more wood for the fire." Shadow announced, standing up. His mouth was dry, stomach twisted into a knot.

Both of them knew that the black blur was not going to wander off for sticks and twigs. He merely wanted away. The alien couldn't blame him, either; he wanted away as well. If anything, Shadow was the nicer one for fleeing, as Black Doom could not walk.

Once Shadow was gone, Black Doom lowered his eyes to the small, flickering flame before him. Indeed, it was running low, growing dimmer. In order to provide any more substantial heat, it definitely needed to grow; he wondered if Shadow's little trip would take as quickly as he hoped it would. With the luck he had with Shadow's small journeys that day, it probably wasn't going to be.

He reached over, feeling something on the left sleeve of the stolen jacket; a patch, one with the military's symbol on it. He knew it had been there all that time, and it felt as if it was burning through the very fabric. He was wary of removing it, however, because Shadow had always been by his side. For some reason, the idea of ripping it off while he was there bothered him; perhaps it was because Shadow himself hadn't noticed it was on the sleeve to begin with. Now that he was gone, he realized, it was the opportune time to rid himself of it.

The alien wedged his thumb between the stitches and underneath the patch. In one swift movement, the threads snapped, and the patch was cleanly torn off. Now with spidery threads dangling off the edges, Black Doom stared at the insignia grimly. His hatred began to boil up, and at its peak, he tossed it into the flame.

The G.U.N. insignia crackled and melted into the golden heat. The scent of burning and melted wax filled the air.

The sky was slowly turning a deep indigo, and upon this, a single glowing orb could be seen. It was not a star, he knew, but Venus, Earth's neighbor. He cringed, realizing his knowledge about Earth was exceeding his comfort zone. Perhaps his reading on this pitiful planet was too extensive, Black Doom thought.

He looked to the direction Shadow had walked to, ears falling slightly.

What was happening to them?


	9. Secrets Revealed

_Here we go, let's keep rolling this thing along! Enjoy!  
>-Laz<em>

* * *

><p>Shadow finally ceased once the flame was out of sight, leaning against a nearby tree. His wounds throbbed to the beat of his heart—quick and dull. What happened back there, he cursed in his head, was not normal for them. They should have never spoken to one another like that. Black Doom shouldn't have tightened his bandage like he did. Something was developing between them now. How <strong>great.<strong>

Needless to say, he wasn't planning for this to happen when he rescued Black Doom from G.U.N. All Shadow wanted was for Black Doom to get out of the military's twisted hands, and that was good and done. Fate clearly had other plans in mind. Was it for the best? Hell if he knew. He was the one that stumbled around this very place after delivering the final blow to Black Doom himself, crying like a pathetic child. Deep down, he told himself that he actually wanted Black Doom back, and here he was. His father returned and they were beginning to soften around another. This was all what he wanted, right?

After heaving a sigh, he brought his hand to the bandage the alien had corrected. Shadow silently swore that he felt something more lingering on the gauze since the other hedgehog laid a hand on it; he wasn't sure what it was, but some sort of gentle tingling sensation seemed to lightly embrace his wound. He shrugged it off as his mind playing tricks on him; being around Black Doom this much was proving to be certainly unhealthy one way or another.

Really, though; was he okay with this happening? He and Black Doom were bonding—of all things; of all people! What seemed to be an insignificant exchange of words to most was truly a breakthrough to them, and gods was it a painful one.

He honestly had no clue as to where to advance from where he stood. It was all too easy to turn, run away, and leave the alien hedgehog to fend for himself; it would solve all his problems, but...it wouldn't be right. Every life, even Black Doom's, was worth giving a second chance. It would be downright cowardly, and not to mention cruel, for him to leave.

Shadow's heart and stomach told him to stay where he was a little longer. He sat on the ground for a very long time, admittedly losing track of time. His last glance at the sky revealed purples and indigos streaked above, but as he looked up now, the sky had grown darker and stars began to peek out from their hiding.

His heart skipped, wondering genuinely what Black Doom was thinking. Perhaps he assumed Shadow left him; that seemed like the most possible thing for Black Doom to assume. He was so quick to judge and seldom showed trust to anyone...

...Except for Shadow himself. Now was probably the rare time that Black Doom entrusted his life into someone's hands, and that someone, out of every living creature in the universe, was Shadow the Hedgehog, the one that betrayed him in the first place. He had been given a second chance and, whether he deserved it or not, needed to be grateful for it. In fact, reflecting the trusting feelings back to the alien may open new doors, he thought. It would be one step closer to understanding what "family" truly meant.

Something hooted above in the tree, rustling its feathers. Shadow glanced up at the noise, knitting his brow in uncertainty. An mild and brief, yet unnatural fear for Black Doom's safety suddenly took hold of his conscience; gods forbid the high and mighty Lord Black Doom trembling in fear at similar noises closer to him. Worse, though—if G.U.N. found him alone...

The grim thought forced his feet to start back toward their little camp. Burdened by confusion or not, he knew he needed to stay with the alien leader and guard him vigilantly. He wouldn't lose him again; he swore it hours ago and he swore it then.

Amidst his fast walking pace, he crouched down every so often to gather burning material for the fire; he knew that returning empty-handed would be most unacceptable.

* * *

><p>As Shadow approached their spot, he was relieved to see Black Doom right where he left him. The fire was dying, but the three-eyed hedgehog seemed to be content, though shivering quietly. His head was tilted upward, gazing at the blackened sky. The alien was so absorbed in the view of the sky that Shadow's presence did not register immediately in his head. It wasn't until the ebony hybrid was but mere feet away from the dwindling campfire that Black Doom dropped his head and directed his gaze at his child.<p>

They were silent and their faces were blank, but their crimson eyes were locked tightly. They held the stare for moments that felt like hours; neither was certain of what to say. They both knew not to ignore the brief, barely sentimental event of the past, but weren't open to vocally acknowledging it. It enraged both of them, yet they remained calm.

Finally, Shadow stepped forward, breaking their eye contact and casting in a couple sticks into the fire. It flared, welcoming the wood eagerly.

"I brought some back," Shadow said, hoping to initiate conversation. Black Doom cleared his throat, resting his head against the tree behind him.

"Indeed you did. Am I to congratulate you now, or...?"

Shadow's anger rekindled inside himself; damn him for have ever considering the alien's safety or well-being in the first place. He should have known better than to consider Black Doom a changed man after gesturing something so insignificant. His mind was too malleable; Black Doom said it before, and he was right. Shadow was about to satisfy himself with steady silence until Black Doom spoke.

"You know," the alien sighed, "You really shouldn't leave like that; you were demanding me to stay still so that my wounds would heal, yet you stormed off in such a violent manner..."

Shadow found himself actually listening to the other hedgehog. He watched him as he spoke, eyes trailing down to a gaping hole in the sleeve of the stolen jacket. How did it get there?

"...Don't you find that unfair to yourself? Theoretically, you're giving me a head start in the healing process." Black Doom continued, only this time quieter. He leaned the best he could towards the half-breed, eyes darkening. Shadow snapped out of his dazed look at the sleeve, now staring deep into the three eyes of his creator. "Do you realize that if I were to gather my strength before you, it would be laughably easy to corner you as your wounds have yet to close? Even in this body, I can rip you to shreds with my bare hands."

Shadow, though his heart had skipped a beat, narrowed his eyes back as a response. "Don't try to scare me. It won't work," Shadow paused, but smirked. He mimicked Black Doom's posture, leaning towards him at the same angle. "It might work better if you lost the legs, grew a couple times larger, and got a deep, low, raspy voice."

As soon as the snide remark sunk in, Black Doom pushed off the ground and turned the opposite direction in a huff. He cursed in what Shadow guessed was his native language, muttering bitterly beneath his breath.

"At least I had the capability..."

As much as he didn't want to admit, Shadow was having a twisted sort of fun and amusement. He secretly hoped that Black Doom wasn't taking his joke as an insult; he was growing sick of the tense atmosphere between them.

Unfortunately, joke or not, the alien did take most of it to heart; his menace was gone. His very ability to intimidate was now reduced to nothing as far as he was concerned. Black Doom could be persuasive to start, but introducing the fear into the equation made him that much more powerful. As an intergalactic ruler, the more power in persuasion, the better.

Black Doom had an odd longing to hold something, just as Shadow was doing to his knees. He glanced at his own, but decided against trying to move them. He was fine where he was, Black Doom decided silently. The crackling fire once again filled the void of silence.

"So the others…"

The quiet sound of Shadow's voice half-startled the three-eyed hedgehog. Shadow's eyes were watching the embers flicker. Black Doom preferred making eye contact when speaking, but this was a clear and obvious case of exception. They would get on that level later...much, much later.

"What others?" Black Doom asked, ears perking.

Shadow crossed his arms, muttering in his chest, "Your remaining soldiers."

The three words seemed to hurt the hybrid as they came out from his chest. It was something Shadow didn't want to speak of, and little did he know that Black Doom wasn't very keen on discussing it, either. Shadow tried to kill them as well as Black Doom; their whereabouts, in the alien warlord's opinion, needed to stay confidential in case something went astray.

"Ah." Black Doom said, feeling the tenseness seep into the air and press down upon them. He couldn't say he preferred this moment to when he adjusted Shadow's bandage. "They're safe, if that's what you're wondering."

"I wasn't," Shadow said, latching onto Black Doom's last word. "I was curious to know...if this has happened before."

Black Doom knew what he was talking about, but wondered if he should speak the truth or lie; what business was it of Shadow's to know if his death had occurred before? He furrowed his brow and sighed. There was no real harm in it, he decided; there was time to be wasted, and if a petty conversation was going to do just that, then so be it.

"No," he replied.

He was the first to stand against him and win, Shadow realized. The thought made his stomach twist into a knot.

"It's always been a concern, though. Granted, a minor concern, but…" Black Doom trailed off. "I've entrusted my children with my life. Before I met with you in person, I reviewed what they were to do if something should happen. This was their test." Black Doom eyed his gloved hand, clearly displeased with it. "They did resurrect me, but just not in the correct way…"

"They earned a passing grade, though?" Shadow said, forcing a small smile. It was another attempt at lightening the mood; he felt much like Sonic then.

"Just barely." Black Doom agreed. "It takes total concentration to restore my life properly. One of my children happened to be dreaming of the day he could slowly twist your neck around until your head fell off."

Shadow rolled his eyes at the comment, assuming the alien was blowing things out of proportion as he had done before.

"He said that, you know...word for word. Your brothers really do have hostile feelings toward you."

The black blur blinked, his façade remaining the same, but he felt something inside break. His brothers hated him. Aliens or not, they were his biological brothers, much like Black Doom was his father. He hadn't been truly born into the family the same way they were, but they were indeed family. The remaining Black Arms wanted nothing to do with him—even if he wanted to live with Black Doom, he wouldn't be welcome there. No one wanted him...

Black Doom was quick to notice the emotional turmoil inside Shadow and sighed heavily.

"Don't fret on it, Shadow," he said, stretching carefully in order to keep his abdomen pain-free, "after hearing about this whole situation—you helping me, I mean—their outlooks on you might change."

There was so much Shadow wanted to heave off of his chest and confess to Black Doom. What a perfect time! There was no one around, the mood was right, and the conversation was heading in the right direction...but he refused. He resisted. Not now, he repeated in his head. Black Doom doesn't need to know what I've been feeling deep down since our fight. Not yet, at least.

The alien knew the sympathetic remark didn't help much. He crossed his arms, mumbling, "Honestly, though, I don't know how to find my way back."

"'Back' where?" Shadow asked, snapping out of his thoughts.

"The…Black Comet." Black Doom responded with a smug air, priding himself on the fact. Though it was indeed the truth, he himself knew the rage of destroying something, only to find it rebuilt hours later; no doubt Shadow would be upset, he thought. This both troubled and joyed him; it was his turn to insult Shadow, sure, but deep down, he feared what would happen if their already-dying relationship took another unnecessary blow.

However, Shadow didn't seem to mind. "Oh," he trailed off simply, face blank.

And it floored the alien overlord. Was Shadow ill? Days prior the blasted little hedgehog was proud to rid the universe of Black Doom's home and fortress, yet now he reacted so indifferently to it returning. If only he knew Shadow's true feelings; it was almost an iota of joy that sparked inside of him, for truly, he began to grow fonder of the idea of a true family...

With his pride and expectations of Shadow mourning crushed, he humbled himself. "Yes, my children must be worried sick."

Shadow paused for moments before speaking again. "I'm taking that Chaos Control won't work, since you haven't tried it...?"

"I feel very askew at the moment; channeling my Chaos powers in my other form was like second nature, but with this...I cannot say for sure," he frowned, "though I certainly hope it will work eventually."

The alien looked down at his abdomen as if the powers existed there before returning his troubled gaze to the deep forest before them. Though he wasn't familiar with the terminology, homesickness was what he felt. He longed to see his remaining children and begin repopulating his family.

Shadow shifted positions, kicking up small clouds of dust near the fire. His entire body ached and longed for a soft, warm bed, but alas, he was stuck here, babysitting his own creator. He averted his gaze from the gloomy hedgehog, settling into the thick roots of the tree behind him.

"We'll…find some way."

Black Doom froze, turning his head to his biological son, who was staring at the fire blankly. "Did you just say…?" the hedgehog's entire body perked upright, getting a better look at the other. "Did you just imply that you would assist me?"

Shadow growled, shutting his crimson eyes. "No, I just…"

"You did! Gods almighty, you want to assist me in getting me home…" Black Doom trailed off, battling an all-knowing smile from spreading across his face. "And here I thought you swore eternal hatred towards me. What in the world made you change your mind?"

"Shut up!" Shadow exclaimed, cheeks turning warm. "I don't want…I just don't want you falling into G.U.N.'s hands."

The excitement settled. Black Doom folded his hands and settled to Shadow's level, edges of his mouth curving up into a discreet smirk. It felt different, this smile; it wasn't evil or sadistic, it was genuine. He was truly glad for Shadow's assistance. He was thankful. Lord Black Doom was thankful.

As the moon rose into view, the two hedgehogs lay in preparation for what they expected to be a rough night.


	10. Help Arrives

_Probably my favorite chapter so far. Heh. ;D Enjoy!  
>-Laz<em>

* * *

><p>As Shadow breathed the late morning air, a familiar, smooth scent caressed his nose. It was cinnamon, perhaps jasmine—or was it both? He stirred, eyelids heavy and limbs begging for him to stay where the deep, satisfying warmth was.<p>

...Warmth?

The black hedgehog suddenly realized the strangeness of the sensation and his crimson eyes shot open, only to reveal ebony. That same smell encircled his nose again, and it sent his head whirling. Shadow found the ground beneath him and moved his hands there, ready to push himself up. That is, he would have pushed himself up if a pair of hands weren't holding his back loosely.

A sudden rush of heat washed over Shadow's face as he began to grasp that he had been sleeping—huddling, almost!—with Black Doom the night prior. The list of profanities that shot through his mind was endless; he ended up cursing himself more than Black Doom for having allowed such close contact in the first place. How degrading; how sickening; how **inappropriate**! He didn't care if it was for their own survival or not; Shadow pondered if ramming his head into a nearby tree would be enough to kill him.

Luckily, Shadow was freed soon enough. The alien hedgehog rolled over to his other side in his slumber, leaving Shadow to dig his face into his hands silently.

They were becoming something, Shadow chanted in his head; they were becoming a family, just as he wanted, but again, he wasn't ready.

The hybrid looked to the sky, gauging the approximate time. It was almost ten in the morning, he thought as he cringed. He couldn't believe that he fell asleep instead of standing guard; hell, he couldn't believe that Black Doom slept, either. Knowing him, he seldom trusts anyone with his life, let alone Shadow, yet he felt comfortable enough to rest in Shadow's presence. Then again, he realized, Black Doom was the true Ultimate Life Form; why did he need sleep? Shadow found that he needed to sleep occasionally (especially during these post-battle periods), but he blamed it on his hedgehog genetics. Could it be, he wondered, that Black Doom was the same now that he was a hedgehog himself?

He looked back to Black Doom, whose breathing was steady and even. He looked at ease now. Good, Shadow admitted; after all the hell I've put him through, he deserves to have a breather.

Shadow stood quietly, sneaking away carefully for a small walk in the area to wake himself up. When he got back, hopefully Black Doom would be up and they could change their bandages together. As his stomach rumbled, he sighed. There was also the matter of food.

* * *

><p>At the seventh bush, Shadow cursed aloud. This forest was completely infertile when it came to edibles. Granted, Shadow didn't need food urgently, as his body was capable of lasting extended periods without it, but he wasn't open to taking risks at the time. He also didn't know about Black Doom; if he needed sleep, did he need food as well? He assumed so.<p>

Unfortunately for the carnivorous Lord Black Doom, Shadow refused to eat anything with meat in it for personal reasons. He had seen death all his life and even the internal organs of living beings; they were enough to repel him from meat. The recent alien invasion was no help, either. He wasn't sure how the Black Arms fed, but they always acted ravenous in their killing ways, almost like sharks in a feeding frenzy. It unnerved him. He was content with eating vegetables or ramen as he did on the ARK fifty years ago. That diet was strange for a hedgehog, he knew; even he had seen the squeamish Amy Rose eat one of those "hamburger" things.

If they were ever granted the luxury of food, Shadow would no doubt get a lecture from Black Doom as to how eating meat was nutritionally superior and that his vegetarian diet was why he was on the slender side. His "weaker" strength would probably be blamed on the lack of protein—what inadequacy wouldn't be blamed on his eating style? Black Doom was so picky with everything...

"Shads!"

The black blur's ears twitched; he knew that happy-go-lucky, carefree voice anywhere.

_Goddammit._

He cautiously brought his eyes up to see the source of the call and internally cringed. Indeed, it was the blue hedgehog known to the world as Sonic the Hedgehog, and he stood waving excitedly from afar. Shadow stood erect, frowning up at the other hedgehog. Of all times and of all places, Sonic had to show up **here.** No doubt he had already heard about the happenings at G.U.N.'s headquarters.

Just as he began to turn away, Sonic came running. Shadow growled beneath his breath, a feeling of dread and a hint of fear overtaking him. He continued to walk, albeit slowly and in a different direction than the campsite was, but his blue look-alike was relentless in his ways.

"Shads, wait up!" Sonic called again. "I gotta talk to you for a sec!"

Against his every instinct, Shadow halted. The blue hedgehog caught up with him quickly, but decided to keep his distance for the time being. Shadow faced Sonic, making sure to wipe his face clean of any guilty expression. Sonic looked happy and peppy as ever, he noted bitterly.

"Yes?" Shadow muttered. Sonic's smile suddenly turned concerned, his hands falling to his sides. The ebony hedgehog realized how poor he must look with his blood-stained bandages.

"H-how's it going, Shadow?"

Shadow looked away and shrugged in response. "Could be better."

Sonic frowned. "I haven't seen ya in a few days; I've—we've been worried."

"'We?'" Shadow repeated, furrowing his brow. Sonic nodded.

"Yeah. Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Cream—everyone. But anyways," he explained, "I was just on my morning run and, whaddya know, I stumbled across you!" He stepped forward, approaching Shadow with a cautious air still about him. "I hate to say it, but you look like hell."

As Sonic reached for Shadow's wrapped arm—the very arm that Black Doom had tightened the bandage on—Shadow swatted his hand away. "I'm fine." Shadow wished he would leave, but there a lingering fear that Sonic was associated with the Commander and could confidently reveal his exact location. No doubt the military would be there in a heartbeat; he could consider Black Doom dead upon their arrival.

But it was obvious the blue hedgehog wasn't convinced. He shrugged it off, but leaned close to Shadow and lowered his voice to a whisper. The hedgehog froze.

"Listen, Shadow. Something weird is going on with G.U.N. right now," Sonic mumbled. Shadow's heart stopped; they had gotten to him after all. "They tracked me down and asked me if I've seen you or if I knew where you were. I told them I didn't, 'cuz I really didn't, and they left with the whole 'if you see him, let us know' spiel, but didn't tell me what was going on. It didn't sound like they were gonna shrug this off after a couple days, either; it sounded like this was serious."

Shadow fell silent. Those pitiful bastards, he cursed. They went to the extent of bothering others just to see if they could find a measly clue to Shadow's whereabouts.

"Shads, what's going—"

"Is this going public?" Shadow interrupted.

"I...well, I haven't seen anything on the news or in the paper..." Sonic trailed off, scanning his memories thoroughly for anything otherwise. Shadow breathed a sigh of relief; as long as this situation stayed private, he would be relatively safe. "But seriously, Shadow, what the heck is going on here? I haven't seen the Commander, but I can guess he's tearing out his hair over you by the sounds of it."

No joke, Shadow bitterly thought. He didn't want to think about what state of mind the Commander was in; skipped meals, sleepless nights—all over finding he and Black Doom. Shadow heard something about the Commander becoming a grandfather shortly after the invasion as well; he wondered if he took time from this business and bothered to visit the newborn yet. What a sick bastard, he cursed. He was just about as sick as Black Doom.

Sonic was about to repeat his question when Shadow cleared his throat to answer. "I can't tell you right now; it's too dangerous. You need to just stay ignorant for the time being." Shadow swallowed and turned his back to the blue hero once more. There was silence on Sonic's end, then suddenly he came to his senses.

"Hey," he said, raising his voice slightly, "no way, man, this isn't gonna cut it. I'm worried about you; I want to help, but I gotta know how deep you're in!"

"It's complicated, Sonic; I can't talk about it."

There was a heavy silence. A calm breeze rustled the leaves above.

"...Alright." Sonic finally sighed, azure ears falling a bit before he set his hands upon his hips. Shadow glared at the ground before him, half-kicking himself for so bluntly shrugging him off; perhaps he was being too paranoid. Sonic was benevolent to everyone and everything he met, save for Dr. Eggman, of course. He could be a help...a major help.

Yet, just how fond of G.U.N. was Sonic? He did ally himself and his teammates with them during the invasion, but that was, of course, a dire situation.

"I'm not with those guys. You oughta know that by now," Sonic said, chuckling as he kicked up dirt on the ground. Shadow knitted his brow at him, faking confusion, but Sonic merely winked back. "C'mon, Shadow! It was all over your face. It must've taken a boatload of guts to do whatever you did to those jerks, and I don't wanna spoil your fun. You know...whatever it is."

A smile tugged at the corner of Shadow's mouth. Thick as he was sometimes, Sonic did have the capabilities of understanding others and their emotions without so much as a word.

"Is there something I can at least do for you? I can't just leave you out here like this," Sonic frowned. Shadow felt the emptiness of his stomach again and silently wished it would growl loud enough for Sonic to hear. He wasn't one to ask favors.

"For starters, don't follow me," Shadow said, "not now, not ever."

"Well, yeah, that's a given." Sonic scoffed. Shadow shrugged, humbling himself enough to accept assistance from the blue hero. After a hesitant pause, Shadow spoke.

"...Food and water would be nice, I suppose."

Sonic beamed, overjoyed that he could help. Pathetic, Shadow bitterly remarked in his head; this hedgehog must really be bored.

"Sweet!" Sonic exclaimed. "You like ramen, right? I'll get you the instant stuff just for convenience...but hold up, if you don't want me to follow you, how are you gonna get the stuff I bring?"

It was a legitimate question indeed. Sonic was going to be treading in dangerous waters; if he didn't act secretive enough, he could be followed, and Black Doom and Shadow would be discovered. They needed a hiding spot. The ebony hybrid glanced over the bush he had combed through; there was plenty of shade at the roots, as well as a great number of leaves to cover up any evidence of a foreign object. Shadow hated taking such a risk, but he gestured toward the plant.

"Put it here, but make sure you're not being followed." Shadow instructed. Sonic scanned the environment, memorizing the exact location. He finally nodded.

"Sounds good, Shads. How much are you thinking you need?"

Shadow paused before answering beneath his breath. "Enough to feed two for a little less than a week." It was long, but it was best to have leftovers than not enough.

Sonic blinked at the response, but grinned widely. "Heh, I don't know what you're up to, Shadow, but I'll get everything you need and put it right here—no followers or tag-alongs." The blue blur turned on his heels and began to jog back in the way he came. "They'll be there in about an hour! See ya!"

Shadow made sure that Sonic was out of sight before he himself went back the way he came. An hour until a meal...instant or not, it sounded heavenly, and it would certainly break the ice between he and the alien warlord.


	11. Progress

_Okay, let me offer you a heartfelt apology for such a long, long, long long long delay on this update! *bows* I'm so so so so sooooo sorry!_

_Not only have I been consumed with writer's block, I'm starting my freshman year in college in about 12 days. I've been working really hard to get everything ready for it! Luckily, my schedule this semester will allow me a LOT of free time between classes a couple times a week. (We're talking about 5 hours here!) So maybe we'll be able to continue updating during this school year? I hope so. ;D_

_Alright, enough talk! Enjoy!  
>-Laz<em>

* * *

><p>Shadow took his time returning back to the campsite, and unfortunately, that was the wrong move to make in Black Doom's eyes; upon coming into sight of their hideout, Shadow was suddenly aware of a small rock flying through the air. It was headed straight for him.<p>

"**Idiot!**" a shout cut the air clean, piercing Shadow's ears. The ebony hedgehog barely had enough time to dodge the stone, wounds throbbing as his heart raced. He crouched down behind the safety of a bush, sensing that the ammunition had not run out quite yet. Another stone thumped on the ground nearby. Shadow winced.

"Get out of there, Shadow, you imbecile! I'll have your head for this!"

Ears falling in defeat, Shadow crawled out cautiously from the bush's protection, only to see a steaming Black Doom clenching a fist. There was, what appeared to be, a significantly large black tendril sprouted from the ground near him. Shadow furrowed his brow, trying to understand what the thing was; this dark stream was almost the size of the tree the other hedgehog sat under. What was it?!

The Black Arms leader was becoming increasingly impatient. With a frustrated cry, his fist shot forward, the tendril following suit and throwing a rock directly for Shadow. The hedgehog gasped, realizing that Black Doom had control of this thing—whatever it was. He was quick to catch it, though, and he tossed it to the side.

"What the hell are you so angry about?" Shadow demanded, approaching his creator, who glared at him in response.

"Where in the world were you?!" Black Doom shouted. "When I awoke, you were nowhere to be found. I thought you were in danger—trapped or kidnapped by those insolent humans!"

Shadow had half a thought to retort with a remark about having the ability to take care of himself, but he held back. Black Doom was showing weakness...caring for Shadow...! He couldn't hold back a smirk. Black Doom was quick to notice and scowled even harsher than before.

"Don't you **dare **look at me like that!" the alien snapped. The tendril retreated into the ground. "I am in no mood for your snide remarks regarding my attitude changes; I am defenseless here, and you blatantly neglected me—in my sleep, mind you— to wander off doing gods-know-what! Explain to me this instant what the meaning of this is!"

Needless to say, Shadow didn't wish to vocalize what ordeal just took place; he made a deal with Sonic, of all people. He accepted help from that overzealous blue hedgehog, and if it was shameful in his eyes, what would it be in Black Doom's? Sighing, Shadow shook his head, deciding to keep it covered up for the time being; what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him. Black Doom glared impatiently, waiting for his answer to come.

"Nothing. I was on a walk," Shadow lied casually.

"Damn, Shadow, at least convince yourself you're telling the truth if you're going to lie like that; your vitals scream falsehood," Black Doom snapped, fuming. He repeated his question again, this time more intense. "Tell me this instant. What were you doing that was so important—"

"What was that thing, anyways?" Shadow gestured to the ground where the dark tendril had been. It was not his primary intention to actually switch subjects so abruptly, per se, but he was genuinely curious. The moment he realized he had done so, he prided himself on it internally. Explaining the situation would have been hell. Black Doom glanced at the spot and closed his eyes.

"I...discovered something inside of me," he replied, "now don't interrupt! You will te—"

"Discovered what?" Shadow persisted, sitting on the ground next to the alien leader. Black Doom blinked, face nearly red from frustration. Never before had someone been so persistent in interrupting him and derailing his train of thought! Damn this hedgehog, he cursed. He narrowed his eyes, heaving a sigh and finding a way to satisfy both their curiosities.

"After I tell you, you must honestly tell me what you were doing," Black Doom said, folding his arms. "Get it?"

Shadow nodded, though secretly hoping his explanation would last long enough for him to forget. The alien cleared his throat and eased back into the tree. Shadow eyed him over as he gathered his thoughts, noticing how particularly stained his bandages were with dried, dark blood. Shadow focused on his own, finding the same condition. It was probably time to change them...

"Yesterday when you rescued me from that lab, do you recall those streams of black attacking the personnel before our escape?" Black Doom asked. Shadow's attention snapped back to the alien as he nodded. "Those things sourced from my anger and hatred yesterday...but today, as I awoke from my rest, a small one was wrapped around my hand. I found I could easily manipulate its movements and size. It was remarkable."

Shadow noticed one poking at his ankle as Black Doom spoke. The alien's hand was moving accordingly, directing its every move. Shadow knelt down and lifted his hand over the tendril, silently gesturing that he was willing to touch the strange element. Its master gently wrapped it around Shadow's hand.

The very appearance of the black thing was as if someone had taken scissors to the fabric of the universe and cut a section of it out from his hand. What he saw was the black backdrop that was left over. It felt almost as strange as it looked; there was now a numbness of sorts about his hand, yet perhaps there was nothing to feel at all? It puzzled the hedgehog, and he furrowed his brow.

"It feels so...empty." Shadow muttered.

"Exactly. It has a certain coldness to it—a lack of feeling altogether. It's almost indescribable," Black Doom explained, "but I've come to a conclusion. It's dark matter."

Shadow's eyes widened. The very matter that existed between stars, planets, and galaxies—the matter that scientists on Earth had puzzled over for centuries—was here in his hand, being controlled by his biological father. A feeling of awe and fear overwhelmed his senses.

"I...I can't believe it," Shadow stammered, "Are you sure this is really dark matter? It sounds so farfetched."

Black Doom nodded. "That it does, but hear me out," he explained. "As you know, you and I can manipulate the element of Chaos itself—stop it in its tracks, thus stopping time altogether; bend certain essences out of it, thus creating what is the green matter you can control and the fuchsia that I can—and everything in between. See, though, I have discovered a way to take Chaos, rip it, extract the nothingness that is left behind, and control that.

"In a way, the method in which I move these things is like moving the Chaos around the rip." Black Doom shrugged and relaxed his hand. The tendril shrunk back into the ground consequently. "I'm still a bit uncertain about the technicalities of it, but it's a promising development in my recovery, wouldn't you think?"

Promising indeed, Shadow thought. It was only day two, and Black Doom already discovered a new power, unlocking a section of his Chaos powers. Perhaps this would go faster than planned; it was a pleasant thought. Not only would he be back to his normal life, G.U.N. would be off his tail.

Suddenly, Shadow felt a sharp pain on his forehead. Black Doom withdrew his hand, wagging his finger half-jokingly.

_The bastard hit me...?!_

"And now you—shame on you for thinking you could get away without holding up your part of the deal," he said, narrowing his eyes. Shadow glared to the side in defeat. "Really, though, Shadow, where were you? I was truly worried, as much as I hate to admit..."

Shadow cursed in his head. He should have known better than to have thought he could skip out on explaining himself to his parent. He had often heard about woeful tales about how strict, watchful, and paranoid parents were to their children on Earth, but never before had he experienced it first-hand.

"Fine, I'll tell you the truth," Shadow sighed, allowing himself to fully sit on the ground comfortably. He began to unwrap the bandage on his arm. "I was discussing things with...a friend."

"'Things'? What kind of things? Who is this 'friend' of yours?" Black Doom demanded. Shadow winced at the relentless questions; how he wanted to slap the alien to silence him for one mere moment!

"Dammit, Black Doom, shut up. If you'll let me talk, I'll explain..." Shadow made sure to include a long, heavy silence before continuing, ensuring that the leader in question followed the orders given. "Someone—Sonic the Hedgehog—is...is helping us. He's bringing us food and water as we speak."

The other ebony hedgehog jolted at the name, fuming. "**Sonic**?! You mean that blue little **rat**?! You can't be serious, Shadow! He aided the humans during the invasion; what makes you think he won't squeal to that blasted Commander?!"

"Listen, Black Doom, he's not like that! He wouldn't tattle on us; he said so," Shadow retorted, enraged at Black Doom's distrust.

"Yes, and we all know how well promises are kept around here," Black Doom scoffed sarcastically, crossing his arms. Shadow fell silent, at a loss for words. He knew Sonic, and he knew his honesty...hell, he didn't know Black Doom was here at all! After moments of silence, the alien sighed, rubbing his temples. "Shadow, I just...don't want to get tangled deeper into this mess. You have to understand that; I just want to go home and restore my family. I want to heal up and relearn my abilities. I don't want to be here anymore."

"I understand." Shadow mumbled. "In all honesty...I'm not sure if** I** want to be here anymore."

The thought slipped from his mind and out his mouth, and he wished it hadn't. Black Doom stared in shock at the hybrid, eyes widened.

"W-what?" the alien stammered. Had he heard correctly?

"Let's just change our bandages right now," Shadow said as soon as Black Doom spoke, throwing his stained bandage into where the fire once burned. "The food will be here in an hour; that's plenty of time for us to clean up a little bit. We'll eat then, and...we'll take it from there."

The alien hedgehog wished to pursue the thought that Shadow had led him onto, but he held back. Something in his subconscious told him to wait and leave the hedgehog be. He bitterly hoped it wasn't a parental instinct forming—he had one, of course, but he never wanted to form one for Shadow. Not after the invasion, at least.

He looked down to the ground, knitting his brow. His stomach throbbed and he did nothing to express his discomfort; instead, Black Doom began to undo his own bandages. He tossed them in the pile of the charred firewood, glancing occasionally up at Shadow. What a heavy silence it was. Shadow began to unwind the roll of gauze and proceeded to rip it after several inches.

Shadow held one of the ends in his mouth, attempting to wrap his arm with one hand as gently, yet firmly as possible. He went through several motions and tries to accomplish his goal, but it was of no avail. Pitiful, Black Doom thought. He restrained himself from referring Shadow as a "poor thing."

"Would you like help, Shadow?" Black Doom asked in what seemed to be an uncaring voice. Shadow's ears twitched, and after a moment's hesitation, he turned to the other hedgehog. He offered his arm to him, and Black Doom held one end of the gauze in place as Shadow wrapped his own arm. The hybrid's face was tense and almost shameful that he had to ask for help twice already that day.

After a few cycles of wrapping, Shadow folded the loose end into one of the layers. He glanced up regretfully at his father.

"You don't need to thank me, by the way," Black Doom said. "Just help me with my stomach and I'll consider it payback enough."

Shadow didn't need to hear it a second time.


	12. First Steps

_Well, guys, here I am! One day before college starts XD; The next update might be a little slow, for obvious reasons...but I will do my best!  
>This chapter did give me writer's block several times, which is what delayed last update so much. Please excuse any crappiness you might find...;w;<em>

_Enjoy!  
>-Laz<em>

* * *

><p>After their wounds were washed and bandages changed, Shadow looked to the sky and found the sun had not moved significantly. It may have been only fifteen minutes since he had seen Sonic. He frowned, feeling a strange sense of urgency, perhaps coming from the combination of his empty stomach and guilty conscience.<p>

"Is something wrong with that sky of yours? Is it too blue?" Black Doom asked half-sarcastically. Shadow scoffed. Oh, the irony...

"No, nothing," he narrowed his eyes. Time was merely not moving fast enough, he thought. Perhaps he should have asked Sonic to get supplies in half the time. The alien leader sighed as he sat up, trying to ignore the numbness of his useless legs as best as he could.

"You could never live like me, Shadow," Black Doom said, holding his knees. "When someone is out getting something for you, patience is key. I know you must be eager, but servants, especially if they are weak like Earthlings are, need time to do tasks correctly."

"Wouldn't have thought that you were behind that philosophy a couple days ago," Shadow mumbled bitterly. The alien's piqued hearing picked up on it and he reached to swat Shadow upside the head, yet found his reach inadequate. Shadow looked blankly at Black Doom's failing efforts to physically punish him. It soon became an attempt to merely reach the black hybrid from where he sat. The only things that held him back were his legs.

Finally, he gave up, heaving an exasperated and frustrated sigh. "Forget it..." Black Doom growled, slamming his fist into the ground. Shadow frowned at the pitiful sight.

"You're having difficulties with your legs still," Shadow noted. Black Doom fell silent. His ears fell in defeat.

"Yes, well," he finally said, "I'm starting to wonder if it's better to just cut these things off and work around them."

Shadow furrowed his brow at the (hopefully) mocking statement. Not only would Black Doom have lost his true body and reputation, he would be a legless hedgehog; what a sad sight it would be! He heaved a sigh as he gathered his knees to his chest. He stared in thought at his creator's legs.

"If you're going to get around anywhere, we're going to have to—"

"We don't have to do anything." Black Doom interrupted, clearing his throat quite loudly. Shadow scowled at the alien in return. Both knew that Black Doom despised the mere act of walking for multiple reasons, and Shadow could tell that he wasn't going to lower himself to those humanoid standards, even if it meant saving his life.

"Seriously, Black Doom," Shadow groaned, "don't be a child about this. You need to learn how to walk and how to stand."

The alien leader merely growled in response. "I will not shame myself in front of the likes of you, you little rat."

His stubbornness infuriated Shadow. Though he understood where Black Doom was coming from, he couldn't believe how Black Doom could lack the sense of urgency. Shadow clenched his fists before resolving to stand up and yank at Black Doom's wrists. He fumed in response.

"What are you doing?! Let go of me!" he shouted. Shadow glowered.

"Stand up," he ordered. Black Doom reflected Shadow's expression tenfold.

"**No.**"

Stubbornness was an understatement, Shadow decided bitterly; he was truly hell-bent on staying immobile. Summoning all his strength, he pulled Black Doom off the ground and eased as the alien's feet met the ground. The alien hedgehog fell into him clumsily, foreign to the sense of balance that was needed to stand straight.

"Easy," Shadow muttered. Black Doom glared at him, finding his hands gripped tightly around Shadow's arms. "Let's just stand for a second before you walk."

"I told you, Shadow, I don't need this—!" the other hedgehog said shakily. Deep down, he knew he needed to know how to stand and walk, but he wasn't willing to learn it from his half-breed son. His other children knew as much as Shadow; if only he had them by his side then.

"Quit complaining; you're learning how to walk whether you like it or not. It's a pain to always leave you behind, anyways," Shadow replied. Black Doom jerked his head up, revealing a flustered, frustrated look on his face.

"'A pain'?! You snide little—!" he drew his arm back, ready to smite the younger hedgehog.

Out of instinct, Shadow pushed him away, stepping back from him. That move, though it protected Shadow, was the wrong one in both their eyes, as Black Doom was now without support. He flailed his arms, eyes widened in fear of crashing to the ground as he desperately attempted to counter-balance himself when he swayed. Shadow found himself with his hands extended in case Black Doom did fall, but he was curious to see just how much he could do on his own.

Surprisingly enough, Black Doom's struggling came to a halt after a couple minutes. He was still, yet completely tense, worried that even the slightest twitch would send him falling. Shadow took a step forward, but Black Doom slowly brought his arm up.

"Don't move any closer, Shadow," he muttered beneath his breath, "I'm in the right spot...I...don't want any distractions."

Shadow blinked, dumbfounded by the response to his gesture of help. "'Distractions'?"

"Yes," Black Doom breathed, lifting his arms to his chest carefully for balance. The grass rustled beneath him, and Shadow snapped his attention to it. The alien's new foot was lifting from the ground; he was taking a step forward!

"H-heel first." Shadow instructed, minding his distance from his creator. Black Doom followed instructions, freezing as soon as the same foot was flat on the ground. He was now in an awkward, angled position, leaning forwards with his hands on the ground to help support himself. He growled.

"What in the hell am I supposed to do now?!" Black Doom shouted. Shadow sighed.

"Just do the same thing with your other foot," he replied tiredly. Was walking this hard to learn? The alien huffed in response.

"If I lift my other foot, I'll lose my anchor and fall," Black Doom hissed. He paused in thought, cursing in his alien language before shouting, "come and help me, you useless hedgehog! Quit standing there and get over here already!"

Shadow perked up at the command. Yes, it was forceful; yes, it was unfeeling, but it was a cry for help. It was a sign of the war general humbling himself—to Shadow no less. As much as he wanted to harp on the plea for assistance, he approached the alien, taking up his hands and standing directly before him.

"Bring your other foot up so you come back to a stand," Shadow repeated. Black Doom did so, grip tightening on his son. His balance was still unsteady, and he still required support from another yet, but it was to be expected. Shadow just couldn't believe that Black Doom was taller than he!

As Shadow inconspicuously watched Black Doom's face, he found a faint pink upon his cheeks. He wondered if it was the result of labored activity or something else. Consequently, he decided it would be fitting to add in encouragement to the situation. Perhaps it would benefit both of them.

"You're doing well," Shadow said quietly. The alien's face went blank, and suddenly the hybrid felt a sharp, relentless pinch on his right cheek. He snapped his eyes shut, making a noise of distress and anger, but refused to release the grip on Black Doom's other hand.

"**Don't praise me because you feel obligated to,**"Black Doom said with an ominous voice. Shadow swatted him away with his free hand. He was about to insult him yet again for his stubbornness, but suddenly the alien's volume dipped low along with his head. "Praise me when I deserve it."

Shadow froze. By the way he was speaking, it sounded as if he disliked praise altogether. The notion wasn't hard to believe for Shadow; he barely received any at all within the past week. With softened eyes, he looked upon Black Doom's melancholy, yet focused face, and spoke.

"You do deserve it," Shadow muttered. "Not only in this, but...everything you've been through recently."

There was a thoughtful pause in the air.

"...Enough of that talk. Honestly, you don't know when to keep your mouth shut," Black Doom scoffed, grip loosening on Shadow's hands. "I'd appreciate it if you cut the sentimentalities and keep assisting me with this walking and standing business."

Shadow nodded silently. The lingering hatred for the alien couldn't help but to agree.

* * *

><p>After exhausting minutes upon minutes of balancing practice and light sparring, Shadow decided that it was safe to assume an hour had passed. If it hadn't elapsed, he thought bitterly, then to hell with it. He was going to get food whether it was there waiting in the hiding place or not.<p>

"I'm going to go see if the food is here," Shadow announced as the three-eyed hedgehog finished walking a small lap. Black Doom's ears twitched as he came to a full stop. He took a moment to steady himself.

"Alone?" Black Doom asked. Shadow nodded; the alien glared. "You just said that 'it was a pain to leave me behind,' and yet you're leaving me behind?"

Shadow knitted his brow. He had no legitimate reason to leave without Black Doom, save for the fact that he wanted to be alone for a moment or two. Nothing needed to be watched over; Black Doom wasn't severely injured, so he didn't need to stay behind...

"Escort me to your little hiding spot so I can practice walking," Black Doom flexed his hand, as if to threaten Shadow into agreeing. The hedgehog opened his mouth to protest, although he had no words to say. "This isn't exactly negotiable any longer, I'm afraid. Let's go."

So they went, arm in arm, steadying each other as they slowly made their way to the place Shadow and Sonic met. Neither spoke; they were submerged deep in thought.

"Is that it?" Black Doom suddenly asked. Shadow looked to where he pointed, finding a bit of white peeking out from beneath the dark shade of a bush. Shadow's pace quickened, and it wasn't long before Black Doom had to fight to keep up. "Shadow, slow down!"

The ebony hedgehog's heart raced in anticipation. _He kept his promise! Thank God! _

While Black Doom cling to Shadow's arm, Shadow bent down to grab the bit of white material. Instead of it being a sack of food like he expected, he found it to be a small slip of paper folded up. The hedgehog blinked, ripping it off of the staple that attached it to a bag that was further hidden.

"A note?" Black Doom said, surprised. Shadow nodded once, unfolding it quickly with his trembling hands. Hopefully it was good news.

_ Shads,_

_ Super sorry if I packed too much for you to eat; give the extras to the birds out there if you can't eat it all! _

_ I'm pretty concerned for you, Shadow. Honestly...you went through some tough times this past week. That bastard alien did a number on you, but you're still you! _

_ What happened between Gerald and Black Doom on the ARK fifty years ago is all part of history now, but you're not. Be more like me and live for tomorrow!_

_Whatever's happening on your end right is your business, but you need to remember that we're your friends, and we'll help you anytime you need it! _

_We'll keep that prick and his armies busy so you can take care of yourself, faker. _

_Heh, this note is turning into an essay! Just take it easy, alright?_

_-Sonic_

_ P.S.—Amy sort of got out of control at the store and bought you a crap-ton of bandages. She managed to make me tell how banged up you were...you better use 'em! _

Shadow read the note one, two, three times before finally snatching up the hidden plastic sack without a word. Black Doom noticed a strange mood change in the hedgehog, but dismissed it. He did, however, want to read that note that was firmly in Shadow's grasp...

Perhaps while he sleeps, he thought.


	13. The Plan

_Two weeks into college, and it's very...crazy. Luckily, I found some time to write this weekend. ;w; Enjoy!  
>-Laz<em>

* * *

><p>The bag itself was packed full, yet Shadow found it laughably easy to carry. Ramen was extremely lightweight, and he was thankful for it. The two hedgehogs spent no time in leaving the edge of the forest, both feeling an ominous and relentless paranoia.<p>

About halfway back to their campsite, Black Doom released his hold on Shadow's arm to test his balance. The hybrid said nothing but watched his creator carefully. He had to admit, he was an extremely fast learner; humans took years to master standing and walking. Was it because of Black Doom's age and overall wisdom? He was familiar with his self than human children were. Fortunately, Black Doom only stumbled a few times; when he did, he regained his footing quickly.

"You don't suppose we should move locations," Black Doom wondered aloud. Shadow pondered for a moment.

"I don't think they're onto us yet, honestly," Shadow replied, "and even if they are, we'd know. They don't hide very well."

With that thought, they resumed their silence until they arrived back at their area. Thankfully, everything was where and how it was left, yet Black Doom had a stabbing sense of wariness he couldn't seem to shake. Ears twitching, he strained to hear any vital sign from any unwelcomed visitor—pulse, breathing...anything.

"Would you calm down?" Shadow growled as he dropped the bag near the remains of the campfire. "There's no one here. Trust me; I'd know, and if I knew, you would know, too."

Black Doom turned with hands on his hips. "You really are sure of yourself..."

"Yeah, I am," Shadow replied angrily, "because the last time I checked, G.U.N. is a lousy excuse for an espionage organization, let alone assassins. I recall each and every human soldier sticking out like a sore thumb in the Black Comet. Their uniforms are black; this place is green. We're fine."

The alien scowled as he allowed himself to kneel before the campfire. Shadow aimed to begin making food to eat, and he wouldn't protest to joining him; if only he could be of use. He gazed at his powerless hands, longing for the invigoration that using the powers of Chaos brought him. He had been thinking how to familiarize himself with his lost powers quickly in the silence that walking with Shadow brought. There was a chance he needed assistance, but Shadow would never agree...would he?

Black Doom folded his hands in his lap. Shadow needed loosening up before he was to ask anything, for lack of better word.

"How often do you eat, Shadow?" Black Doom asked with genuine curiosity. It threw Shadow off; there was a long, drawn out pause as he tried to detect any source of sarcasm or snide tones. There were none, he realized; that meant Black Doom was being innocent.

"Er, I don't know," Shadow said, sparking a fire with his Chaos energy. "A couple times a week...? You know I don't really need to eat. It just helps keep my energy up...and it's not bad to taste things occasionally."

"I can agree with that last part," Black Doom muttered. "Although, sometimes I feel like eating keeps—**kept** my army in check. If they see...**saw** me eating, I felt like they ate to follow my actions."

"Don't eat out of obligation. That sounds so...human," Shadow scoffed, opening a styrofoam cup of instant noodles. Black Doom furrowed his brow at the comment, offended that he would refer to him as acting like an Earthling. "If they knew you well enough, they'd know you don't need to eat. If they didn't know that, then you should've told them."

The conversation was brushed off so quickly that Black Doom dropped it without hesitation. There was no use in pursuing this any further. Yet once the air began to tense, Shadow exhaled and grabbed the plastic sack. He dug around in it and pulled out another cup of ramen along with a bottle of water. He offered the cup to Black Doom, who hesitantly took it, blinking curiously.

"What is this?" he asked as he turned it about in his hand. Reading English was never his strong suit. Shadow unscrewed the cap from the bottle, pouring some of the water in his container.

"It's lunch," Shadow replied, "take the lid off and see."

Black Doom gently removed the paper lid to find a dry mass of thin noodles inside. His face turned sour as he poked it—rock hard. "You expect me to eat this?"

"Not that way, I don't," Shadow grumbled. "You put water in it and heat the water. It turns the noodles soft; take out the chopsticks first, though."

Black Doom watched as Shadow took out two plastic sticks from within the dried ramen noodles. They barely fit inside, the alien noted as he searched in his own cup; he removed them with a small amount of effort. His eyes lit up once he felt the chopsticks in his fingers; they felt like the utensils from back home on the Comet! With some difficulty that two extra fingers added, he managed to hold them properly, and Shadow was shocked.

"You know how to hold chopsticks already?"

"I don't know what 'chopsticks' are, but I can hold _wakunen_ just fine," Black Doom said proudly. "I assume it's the same concept."

The black hedgehog sighed in relief, placing his hand on his wound upon his head. It throbbed for but a moment, yet it was painful enough that he began to question if he had received any severe head trauma. Black Doom frowned.

"I would mend that if I could," Black Doom trailed off. "I just...don't want to hurt you."

Time seemed to freeze. Shadow's eyes widened as his gaze rose to see the alien hedgehog with a reddened, shameful look. Dear God, Shadow's head screamed, is he really warming up to me that much?!

"I'll try healing myself later," the alien continued. His cheeks were still tinted with pink and his head was filled to the brim with profane curses upon himself and Shadow, yet he decided to keep the conversation moving as much as possible to avoid having to explain himself. "Do you need that heated up? Is that why you made a fire? Of course it is; here."

Two black tendrils rose from the ground and gently took Shadow's Styrofoam cup from his hands. They held it above the fire, mindful of the flame's peak. "Just let me know when it's finished."

Shadow, however, was in no mood to talk, thank, or even nod in Black Doom's general direction. His throat was tight, packed full with strange and foreign feelings. He tried to convince himself that the comment was just that—a comment and no less—but he had difficulty accepting it. After a few minutes of silence, he looked up to see the water steaming.

"It's done."

Promptly, Black Doom commanded the dark matter to offer the cup back to the young ebony hedgehog. He took it carefully and began to stir it absentmindedly.

"It's hot, so use caution," his father warned beneath his breath. He was certainly aware of Shadow's lack of desire to speak at the moment; if only he left that sentimental comment unspoken. Perhaps something was sparking between them. It seemed impossible a few days ago, but now...

Suddenly, Black Doom was aware of another styrofoam cup being offered to him. It wasn't hot, let alone steaming like the one he gave Shadow.

"Do this one, too," Shadow mumbled, eyes averted from Black Doom. "It's yours."

The alien took it without much of a thought. The cup felt heavier than before—most likely due to the water now inside it—but nonetheless, the dark tendrils held it above the fire until Shadow gave the cue to stop. It was such little time, Black Doom thought. He questioned Shadow's sense of time, but decided to trust him. If something went wrong, there was always the option of force-feeding it to the little brat.

Shortly after Black Doom finished, Shadow put the fire out to keep from any unwanted signals to form in the air. The last thing they needed was the military charging in on them, much less while they were eating. Meanwhile, the three-eyed hedgehog wrapped a mass of the thin noodles around his chopsticks and lifted them to his mouth with little hesitation. He wasn't very hungry because of his throbbing stomach wound, but he felt obligated to eat after seeing Shadow eating so ravenously. The ramen slipped into his mouth, and he took his time in tasting its mild spice before speaking. Shadow half-anticipated the verdict; how spoiled could this alien bastard really be?

"It looks revolting, simple, and positively lowly," Black Doom said upon swallowing, "and yet, it's actually quite satisfactory. Curious."

"You...you like it?" Shadow asked. An alien overlord of countless planets liking Earth food, let alone something so basic—astounding!

"It needs meat, of course, but I'm not fond of the creatures humans eat here," Black Doom replied, "but there's something about it that really appeals to me. I'm not sure what it is...the spice or the consistency, maybe? Perhaps I should make some rendition of this back home..."

Shadow tried to keep a smile behind his callous façade, and in doing so, it made his stomach turn. What was making him so happy all of a sudden, anyways? All Black Doom did was eat some cheap ramen. Was it the idea of contributing something to his society? Was that even the reality of the situation? He closed his eyes in shame of himself.

They ate in silence for a few moments, their stomachs unable to resist hunger any longer. The alien periodically glanced up at Shadow to read his face for any emotions. Was it safe to bring up his plan now? He cleared his throat and the opposite hedgehog looked up in response.

"Shadow, I've been mulling this over," Black Doom said. The opposite hedgehog twitched, expecting the worst: a proposition to live with him. The alien picked up on the change of mood and latched onto it quickly. "About returning home, I mean. I would ask you to teleport me there, as I can't exactly locate my Chaos 'channel' precisely, but you see, you have no idea where the Comet is. I figured it would be best to keep it that way."

The hedgehog scoffed in reply, half-agreeing.

"There would be a slim chance that one of my surviving soldiers could successfully teleport me, let alone themselves, but even then, they would need to know my exact location," Black Doom continued, "which they do not."

"So you're stuck," Shadow replied, stirring his ramen. Black Doom nodded.

"Precisely. So my thought—ugh, now hear me out," he said, pointing his disposable chopsticks straight at Shadow. "You might not be too fond of this idea, but if I...we find a Chaos Emerald and use it to—"

"**Forget it.**" Shadow interrupted. "I'm not doing this again."

Black Doom slammed his hands on the ground, leaning forward to get a better look at Shadow's eyes. "Now, Shadow, you listen to me and you listen to me **well**; I am not sending you to go out to do **anything**. For all I care, you can stay here while I go out and get one—wherever one is—but really, I never planned on you running around for me again," Black Doom hissed. "This is my issue—my problem, and I'm going to solve it myself."

"I don't really care if you're getting it yourself, Black Doom," Shadow growled. "It's your target that I'm not just going to let you go after. I had to keep you away from them once, and I'll do it again."

"Were you listening to me?! I never said, nor did I imply that I was going to get multiple Emeralds; I was only going to get one!" Black Doom replied, resisting the urge to put the hybrid in a headlock. "I just need to feel something resonate with my Chaos powers; that way, I can uncover the way to use Chaos Control in this body and leave this pathetic rock once and for all."

Shadow was silent for but a moment, but it was all Black Doom needed.

"I'm not going to steal it from Earth. Really, why would I take only one?" he added before trailing into silence. The alien opened his mouth then closed it. "I'm starting to believe that this was all a sign...dying, I mean. My deities must have not meant for me to gather all seven Emeralds and use them for the purpose I had in mind."

Or it could have been that you were just an arrogant bastard that should've left Earth alone to begin with, Shadow thought bitterly. "So, what do you need out of me, then? If you're not going to force me to do your dirty work, why tell me all of this?"

Black Doom paused. "You...wouldn't happen to know where one is, would you?"

He did, in fact. Shadow clearly remembered that when two soldiers cornered him and practically dragged him to their headquarters, he was in possession of an Emerald, one that he assumed was with Black Doom until the very end. The soldiers knew of its power and worth, and they demanded it from the battered hedgehog as his wounds were being treated. Left with no other option, Shadow obeyed. If only he knew then that it would be of use so soon!

"G.U.N. made me hand over one of them to the Commander," Shadow said after a pause. A small voice scolded him for saying so with little deliberation. Black Doom scowled. "It's back at their headquarters still, most likely. I can't think of anywhere else they'd keep it."

Black Doom mused on the idea for but a moment. He wasn't particularly fond of it. "And the others?"

"I have no idea; they scattered after I transformed. You're lucky I found the one I had to give them in the first place," Shadow replied. "I know you don't want to hear this, and I don't want to, either, but the easiest and fastest way is to break into G.U.N. headquarters and take the Emerald they have."

The alien fell silent, displeased. He would agree to the plan if he wasn't a hedgehog, he thought. If he were his original self, he would blow the place to smithereens and dig through the rubble for the Emerald instead. He sighed, resting his aching head in his hands.

"We broke out when we were wounded and weak; if anything, this'll be easier than before," Shadow said. "You know them first-hand; they're not that big of a threat. We...can do this."

_We..._

Black Doom allowed himself to admit that it had a nice ring to it. He and Shadow, the two Ultimate Life Forms, storming G.U.N. headquarters, all for the sake of acquiring a Chaos Emerald. He and Shadow working together; he and Shadow fighting together. Marvelous...

"How soon are you thinking of going?" Shadow asked, breaking Black Doom's thoughts.

"As soon as possible," he said. Shadow nodded. "The faster, the better; my children must be worried sick."

"Then let's regain our strength and practice battle tactics for the next few days," Shadow decided, "and not to mention balance, walking, and running. As long as you promise me you won't dump all the workload on me, I'll help you; I'll do my part and you do yours."

Black Doom nodded almost instantly. "Of course."

"Then that's it. We'll start after we finish eating."


	14. Rain

_Bleh, not a fan of this chapter, myself. Sorry for the horrid length-these next updates might be a little faster, though, since I've been planning them out since day one! Thanks for hanging in there with me, guys. Enjoy.  
>-Laz<em>

* * *

><p>Shadow felt the pace of their day quicken once their agreement was made. They ate and cleaned up quickly, wasting no time in preparing for their infiltration. It was mid-afternoon when Black Doom began balancing himself in various positions, accustoming himself to the body he was in. Shadow had situated himself beneath a tree, watching him when he wasn't scanning the sky for military planes.<p>

"Are you getting the hang of it?" Shadow eventually asked. Black Doom allowed both his feet to touch the ground and took a deep breath.

"Almost; not well enough to infiltrate an armed and guarded facility with ease," Black Doom said, "but I'm getting used to them. It's not to say I like the situation any better, though."

Shadow nodded absentmindedly, fiddling with a loose end of his arm's bandage. Indeed, this bandage, too, Black Doom had assisted with in applying. He didn't protest much that time, and though he should have been shocked at himself, he wasn't.

"Could you do me a favor, perhaps?" Black Doom asked, setting a hand on his stomach to ease the throbbing. Shadow's ears perked at the pleasant tone of voice. "Could you draw me a map of the military's headquarters so it will be easier for me to find my way around? The faster this is done, the better."

Shadow blinked. "You're making it sound like you're going alone in this."

"Does it? I don't mean it to; I meant to sound indifferent. You sounded tired of doing favors for me this morning and I was just trying to be..." Black Doom trailed off, finding it difficult to finish the thought. Whatever he was trying to get across to Shadow was something not of his merciless, bitter temperament. It made him feel strange and he disliked it.

Shadow, however, forced himself to shrug it off and began to find a patch of dirt to roughly draw a map of G.U.N. headquarters in. He thought back as far as he could, attempting to remember every detail as he traced in the ground, yet his memory was vague. Black Doom approached the kneeling hedgehog and observed.

"I'm surprised how much you remember," the alien commented as Shadow's drawing slowed to a stop.

"So am I."

The two looked over the rather extensive picture, which was composed of several connected rectangles. Abbreviated words were written within these squares, labeling the rooms and halls. One he was sure not to miss was the newly-established extraterrestrial ward; it made him shiver to think how quickly time passed them by. Mere days had gone by since their escape.

"Please explain, Shadow. I can't read English well."

The ebony hedgehog cleared his throat after snapping out of his thoughts. "This is the Commander's Office," Shadow said, pointing to the respective room. "If anything, we'll have to resort to searching there. I don't know where exactly they would keep an Emerald."

"Helpful," Black Doom scoffed. "Do they have a safe of any kind? I've seen military bases on other planets with vaults of sorts that guard valuables."

Shadow paused, memory flashing with images of Chaos Emeralds, a blue ocean, and an unsettlingly large explosion. "...Security Hall was destroyed, and they never rebuilt..."

"Excuse me?"

The hybrid swallowed the knot in his throat. "N-no, they wouldn't have a safe or vault that I know of."

Black Doom frowned. His mind ran through the countless invasion and ambush tactics he led his army through, yet all had one key thing in common: he knew the destination and where its weaknesses existed. He knew the general whereabouts and outer perimeter, but nothing about the inside. He remembered the army composed of humans, though, and it was enough to settle any worries he had.

"I'll trust your assumptions," Black Doom finally said, "but do know that I will do so over your head." His hand clamped down on Shadow's shoulder, squeezing it for but a moment as a warning. "**If I go down, you will go down with me.**"

Strangely, it caught Shadow off-guard. The reality of the situation smacked him in the face, as if he wasn't in understanding of it already! He quickly composed himself, closing his eyes and nodding.

"Don't worry. I know."

* * *

><p>As the day progressed, dark clouds began to blot out the sun overhead. Shadow was still sitting before his hand-drawn map, studying it relentlessly while drawing arrows about. Every entrance seemed to have guards ready to repel them; even the most creative of entrances unnerved the black hedgehog. Human or not, they knew their base well, and they were not going to let intruders get by so easily.<p>

Then a thought occurred to him; what about entering on the inside? Shadow possessed the ability to teleport without a Chaos Emerald, after all, and once they were in, it would be simple to further infiltrate the headquarters. They could fight together and ward the defense off; that would be easy...

As his strategy began to build, a droplet of water landed directly in the middle of the drawing. Shadow perked up. Just as he began to second-guess himself about seeing rain, another drop landed on his head. He looked up as the drops became more frequent. Indeed, it was rain. Shadow merely drew his attention back to the map and continued thinking his strategy through.

Of course, for the foreigner a while away from him, it was not so casual of a phenomenon.

"W-what is this?!" Black Doom suddenly exclaimed.

"Rain," Shadow replied flatly, not bothering to look up from the ground. The alien's tense disposition remained. "It's water precipitating from the sky; calm down, it won't hurt you. Just get under one of those trees so you don't get wet."

The other hedgehog did so with haste, shaking his damp coat sleeves out on the way. Once safe beneath the leaves' protection, Black Doom gazed up at the ashen sky curiously. The sun was completely out of sight; it was certainly easier on his sensitive eyes, but it did bring about a certain chill that he didn't appreciate. He hugged his arms close, noticing Shadow still on the ground.

"What the hell are you doing, Shadow? You're going to get wet!"

"I'm planning our route," the hedgehog replied over the sound of falling rain. "I'll be fine."

Within moments, Shadow felt a weight fall on top of him, his vision engulfed in black. He reached up to his head, pulling back what felt to be a heavy cotton material. It was Black Doom's jacket.

"I wish you weren't so stubborn sometimes," Black Doom sighed from behind, marching back to the sheltering tree.

Shadow watched him, blinking. The jacket was warm with the other's lingering heat, now almost completely rid of the human scent that it once held. It smelled...pleasant. He returned his gaze to the sketch he made into the ground, which now was reduced to nothing but a slab of dry mud. Shadow's ears fell, but he stood and retreated back to Black Doom's location. Thunder bellowed softly.

"I remember that sound," Black Doom realized. "Such turbulent skies we had to deal with!"

The comment actually triggered a chuckle from Shadow as he offered the jacket back to its owner. Only days prior had a violent cloudburst tossed Black Doom's third eye and Shadow around during a retaliation against Dr. Eggman high in the skies above. It was a bittersweet memory, yet it somehow lightened the mood significantly. Shadow proceeded to wring his quills out.

"I don't suppose there's any way of telling when this will stop," Black Doom trailed off. Shadow shook his head. The warlord sighed and lowered himself to the ground. "Though, I suppose I never really...understood the cause of your amnesia. Do you remember now enough to tell me?"

Shadow hesitated, but found no harm in the prompt. He sat, gathering his knees in his arms and cleared his throat.

"If you're not against a somewhat long story, sure," Shadow replied. "No doubt you've heard about what happened to me on the day G.U.N. stormed the ARK..."


	15. Beneath His Mother's Sky

_Now THIS chapter...this chapter I'm actually quite fond of. ;) Every bit of Black Doom's past belongs to me-this'll probably be all you'll see of it. If you want to know more, let me know! Enjoy, and toss a review at me if you have the time!  
>-Laz<em>

* * *

><p>Shadow spared no detail telling his tale, consuming minutes upon minutes of their time beneath the sheltering tree. Black Doom, surprisingly enough, listened intently, nodding occasionally and fighting the urge to scold him for what he had done. Once Shadow had finished, Black Doom paused for a great amount of time before speaking.<p>

"I...apologize for your hardships," Black Doom said. Shadow did nothing but gaze out to the falling rain.

"There's nothing that can be done about them now, so it's pointless to apologize," Shadow replied. Suddenly he was aware of a weight on his hand.

"That was a remark of pity."

Shadow hesitated, then allowed his head to fall. "God, don't say that. I hate pity. I don't need it."

"You're a lot like me, then," Black Doom sighed, withdrawing his hand and crossing his arms over his chest.

The rain fell heavily in a relentless shower. Neither of the hedgehogs saw lightning, but they did hear rumbles of thunder; Shadow was thankful that it was nothing but a smaller and insignificant storm. Had it been anything worse, he would have felt obligated to find shelter elsewhere. It both fascinated and unnerved the Black Arms leader.

"It's unpleasant out here," Black Doom said, regarding the thick, humid air, "yet this entire scene is strangely excit—"

Shadow suddenly cursed loudly and stood, realizing something dire. "The bag—it's still out there!"

Black Doom could barely register what the younger hedgehog was yelling about while Shadow darted out in the middle of the pouring rain to fetch the plastic bag. Luckily, he found its opening to be at the side so that its contents were safe and dry. Shadow didn't mind the drenching mass of water, but he was disturbed by the chill he received from the late-autumn winds. He made haste back to where Black Doom sat, spitting curses along the way.

"You could've asked for the coat, Shadow," Black Doom said. He quickly shrugged it off once again and offered it to Shadow, who refused as he let the bag slip from his hand.

"You need it more; keep it on."

His shivering body said otherwise. Black Doom frowned, waiting until the hedgehog sat down to throw it over his head. Shadow fumed, ripping it off of his face.

"I don't want it!"

"Such awful obstinacy you have," he growled. Two tendrils swam up from the ground near Shadow. "I will not take 'no' for an answer. Take it."

Shadow found it undeniably strange that Black Doom would press such an insignificant matter upon him so urgently. He heard of strict human mothers forcing their children to wear articles of clothing for their own safety and health, but to hear it from the alien was uncanny. He shook out his dripping quills and pulled the jacket over his shoulders, adhering to his father's commands, albeit hesitantly. The tendrils vanished.

The two hedgehogs stayed in silence for quite some moments, watching the raindrops shower the earth. Both of them wished to be in a more stable shelter; every once in a while a stray droplet of water would sneak through the leaves' openings and land on one of their heads. It was Black Doom who wished the most, though, simply judging by how much his body was trembling, despising the rather cold air of the world. It wasn't long before Shadow took notice. He sighed.

"At least share it, Black Doom. I can't stand watching you shiver like that," Shadow said while draping half the jacket over Black Doom's shoulders, sliding closer to him. That rich, earthy smell was back; it must have been Black Doom's scent, perhaps the Black Arms' scent altogether. He couldn't say he didn't like it; it was something familiar and pleasant. He felt his eyes droop and he stifled a yawn.

As they huddled together beneath the tree's protection, the rain continued to fall from the darkened clouds, thunder bellowing and lightning flickering. Yet all throughout the peculiar scene, Black Doom found a comforting and wonderful heat taking both he and his son's body over. It was strangely relaxing, and he allowed himself to ease.

* * *

><p>Shadow's eyes flickered open. It was dark, yet the smoky air calmed him, assuring he was in no danger.<p>

"Good morning...er, evening, I should say," Black Doom said. Shadow rubbed his eyes, cursing in his head. No immediate danger, at least. "You—what is it humans say—'dozed off'?"

"That sounds about right," Shadow grumbled, sitting up. Something that once covered his shoulders fell to the ground behind him; the jacket, he assumed. He took it and tossed it in Black Doom's direction. "I take it nothing happened while I was asleep. Damn, I'm still tired...I'm never tired..."

The last thought came across as odd to Black Doom as well. Sure, Shadow received wounds from the battle, but not as many as he; it should be the opposite. Then, something clicked, and he couldn't stifle a chuckle. Shadow glared at him.

"What?"

"Here's a thought, Shadow," Black Doom proposed. "It's normal for my children to feel much more relaxed around their father's scent. Could it be that you are exhibiting that phenomenon as well?"

Shadow's cheeks went hot, but his irritated look remained. "I doubt it." His attention focused on the scent of smoke, finding a small fire crackling between them. He glanced at it, then to Black Doom, who cleared his throat.

"I...tried my best to replicate the one from last night," Black Doom explained. "I was cold."

"I told you I didn't need that thing," Shadow snapped. The alien rolled his three eyes while his insides twisted with a nervousness of sorts. "You're susceptible to cold more than I am; you said it yourself."

"...You were soaking wet," Black Doom said after hesitating.

"It shouldn't matter to you."

The longing to protest was almost too much for Black Doom to handle. He resisted the urge to speak, drawing his mouth into a fine line and folding his hands over his knees. Shadow silently sighed, he himself feeling an uncomfortable tightness in his chest. They stayed in their quietness for some time, looking up at the multitude of stars hanging above their heads. For a split second he wondered what all Black Doom had seen out in the realm of space.

"This may seem sudden, but do you believe in the concept of heaven, Shadow?" Black Doom asked. Shadow furrowed his brow, casting an uncertain look to him. "I was curious; Earthlings believe in such a thing. Following that logic, your human friend would be there, but...where exactly is this place?"

"I'm not sure; it's never explicitly stated. It's not really a destination that someone can just fly off to," Shadow replied. "It's implied it's high up, perhaps beyond space."

Black Doom scowled at the thought. "Something higher than space...quite a large concept for humans, don't you agree?"

Shadow shrugged. "Whatever. I don't really know what I believe in; I don't think it matters. I don't plan on dying soon, so it's not a huge issue for me right now."

"I see. I just had a strange thought," Black Doom replied. "I heard a lot of humans speak of that 'heaven' during the invasion. I found it strange how they formed such a concept; heaven, a place beyond their understanding...it reminded me of my home and my family."

"Family?" Shadow repeated. "You mean, you have others related to you outside of the Black Arms?"

"Of course I do," Black Doom scoffed. "How else would I be here?"

"So you have parents still…?"

"Only one—just my mother. She was the one who restored the Black Comet, actually," Black Doom replied. Shadow grimaced at the idea of what could have parented the dreadful-looking alien that the three-eyed hedgehog once was. "I've never had a father. She spawned my siblings and me by herself."

The hybrid blinked, leaning forward. "Siblings?"

"Nine," the other nodded.

Shadow blinked again, his curiosity piqued. He couldn't imagine the alien menace Black Doom having brothers and sisters; families, in their stereotypical sense, were results of peace and love, which was everything that Black Doom was not. His mind racked with questions, pondering whether his creator pulled a rebellious phase and secluded himself from his family or something more abstract. Shadow had to admit, he wished to know all about this. Apparently it showed on his face.

"…Is it my turn to tell a long story?" Black Doom asked half-sarcastically.

The hedgehog shifted his legs, leaning closer to the fire – closer to Black Doom – to hear every word he was to say. "I wish I could say 'no.'"

"Very well." Black Doom nodded, leaning against the tree behind him and closing his eyes. "Where to start…?"

The mere notion that his relation with this alien overlord extended far beyond a creator amazed Shadow. Black Doom was nothing more than Shadow's father, his siblings Shadow's aunts and uncles, and his mother Shadow's grandmother.

As the mighty alien warlord began, Shadow's mind was filled with images of all that Black Doom had seen in his incredible lifespan; his siblings unique and so much like Black Doom, and his mother, the one called Nyx, beautiful, graceful, and elegant. He could see each one vividly in his mind, as if his father was painting them in his memories. It was as if he was learning his past all over again.

The words Black Doom spoke were chilling to Shadow. He spoke of an innocent, yet loving childhood that was filled with a cushioned, luxurious lifestyle; he was a demi-god, his mother the goddess of the night and stars, and he was gifted with the ability to manipulate the very essence of his grandfather: Chaos. Shadow found it difficult to wrap his head around the relationship, but he found himself accepting everything the alien said with trust and profound respect. Nyx entrusted a mission so large and so vital to Black Doom, the one who possessed such great power. He was to protect the creatures of the universe from their greatest enemies: themselves.

"...Which is why I set my sights upon Earth," Black Doom continued. Shadow said nothing, but his heart ached. "These people were, are, and will destroy themselves. I had to stop them no matter the cost, but little did I know that a man playing god would give that same destiny to someone close to me."

"The food thing, though...?" Shadow asked, recalling Black Doom's plan for using the humans as an energy source.

"That wasn't a total lie, I'll have you know," Black Doom smirked. "There have been lost causes everywhere. Like humans, they were stubborn, greedy creatures who thought they needed no outside assistance. Why bother delaying the inevitable?"

Shadow hummed, no longer wishing to linger on the subject of the humans any longer. Black Doom sighed.

"I ran away, though. I'll never forget it."

The black blur knitted his brow up at his father, puzzled.

"I wasn't old enough to go forth and begin my conquests when I left; one of my brothers nearly killed my mother before I was of age," the alien said. "I grew frightened of my safety and fled, starting my own race and learning life's lessons on my own. It was hell, but I made it through...well, almost." His three eyes trailed to his hands and hedgehog body shamefully.

"You still have things left to learn," Shadow scoffed, smiling to himself. It prompted a soft shove to his head from his creator.

"So do you," Black Doom chuckled, "like how to respect your elders, let alone your superiors. Killing them is not the greatest sign of respect, I'll have you know."

A voice in Shadow's head suddenly spoke, yet Shadow prevented it from escaping to the outside: _"I'm sorry, I'm sorry."_

He was determined to keep the mood as light as he could, his stomach knotted with the uncomfortable feeling of regret. The two exchanged playful insults deep into the night, finding themselves laughing with one another even as the fire's embers died down. Once they calmed, they fell into a sleepy silence. Shadow was unsure of he merely imagined it, but he swore he felt his father's arms about him, and his own around Black Doom before falling yet again to sleep's mercy.


	16. Haunting Memories

_Hey, everyone! I'm back ;w;  
>I am SO sorry for such a long hiatus...my parents just went through a divorce this past November and by the time school and work got in the way, I was emotionally and mentally exhausted. Writing was super hard for me. ;-; <em>

_But fear not! Things are getting better. I got over my writer's block and this story will be wrapping up really soon! I'm super excited! _

_Enjoy, guys!  
>-Laz<em>

* * *

><p>Black Doom woke from his light slumber late in the night to find that Shadow had rolled away in his sleep. The younger hedgehog's limbs twitched, no doubt enveloped in a vivid dream, yet remained peacefully unconscious. The alien took it as an opportunity to do what he had silently longed to do all day.<p>

Carefully, he opened the plastic bag, searching quickly through its contents to find the note that was previously attached. It was at the bottom, crumpled slightly. He fished it out.

It was a struggle to read it in the complete darkness now that the fire had dwindled to nothing, but he searched deep within himself to find one of his most basic of Chaos manipulation skills he knew. His left palm glowed with fuchsia; thank gods, he was growing accustomed to this body sooner than he thought! It was scarce, but the glow provided enough light for his supreme eyesight to compensate. Black Doom's eyes scanned the note intently, mind shooting through the hundreds of languages he learned and back to his own. English, he had to admit, was one of the more difficult tongues to learn. He found it inconsistent and strange at times; writing it was even more of a chore than speaking it.

He began to trace his native translation of the letter from the blue blur into the ground. The message was incoherent yet for him, but he recognized the instances of "Shadow", "Gerald", "ARK", and even his own name at times. The blue rat knew more than he appeared, Black Doom bitterly thought.

Once the work of writing the note was complete, he moved the light over the inscribed ground to read it.

"_You're still you!"_

"_What happened between Gerald and Black Doom on the ARK fifty years ago is all part of history now, but you're not."_

"_Live for tomorrow!"_

The words puzzled him greatly. They implied encouragement and sympathy, but they seemed to be needed on Shadow's end somehow. Had he changed Shadow's mind that much? Did he have feelings that he needed to discuss? Black Doom assumed that Shadow was completely unmoved by the whole ordeal that past week, yet...was it wrong for him to think so?

He reached out to his hybrid child, merely wanting to feel him sleep and dream, yet he caught himself. Making physical contact always made his skin crawl and turn his stomach, but he found it inappropriate to confront him about such a trivial matter. Silently sighing, he returned the note to its resting place in the bag before erasing the evidence of his translation. He resumed his previous position at the base of the tree, attempting one last time to acquire rest as images of that dreaded battle raced through his mind.

* * *

><p><em>Such astounding heat! The energies all around the two were entangled and waging war with one another. Rubble and remains of city buildings and sidewalks flew about, to which Shadow narrowly dodged while soaring through the blood-colored sky. <em>

_What a monster Black Doom had become; Devil Doom was nothing to swoon over, not that Black Doom in the first place was, but the ferocious monster actually did cast several waves of fear into the black blur's heart. This thing made him with his blood. He shivered through the feverish air. He wanted this thing out of his sight for good, even if it was his biological father. It was what Gerald and Maria would have wanted._

_Shadow's Chaos Spear missed. He was getting clumsy, thoughts twisting into a heap of confusion that made his head throb with horrific intensity. He put his hand out before him, gripping his head with the other. He needed to focus; this was not the time to mess up. _

_He heard that chilling laugh. Black Doom wasn't stupid; he knew Shadow was troubled, let alone ailed in such a way. _

_Just before his vision blurred, Shadow saw flames careening towards him. He flew out of the way, seeking shelter behind a concrete mass. He breathed, heart racing and throat tightening. Tears were there in his eyes—why? There was nothing to cry about!_

_He should have known better than to stay in one spot for so long, for the concrete burst into several shards, sending Shadow flying in the opposite direction. He managed to stop himself, taking one last breath before charging back forward. He had to stay focused; he had to win. He had to... _

_In a split second, a strange coldness overtook his body, something trickling down his sides, his eyes wide with disbelief._

_**M…Maria…Gerald…Sonic…I'm…so sorry…**_

_In a whirl of colors, he suddenly felt his back impact with a rough fragment of concrete, no longer able to maintain his monotone disposition. He snapped one eye shut, stifiling a cry of pain. His abdomen felt as if a thousand knives were stuck into it, flames licking every fiber of his being. He was able to cast a wary glance down where his agony sourced, only to find his heart stop in shock. _

_A monstrous talon had securely pinned him to the slab, and the talon was all too familiar. This wasn't supposed to happen, Shadow realized. He was supposed to win this battle; Earth was supposed to be saved and humanity was supposed to reign._

"_Not as strong as you thought you were, hm?" he heard a low, growling voice echo, recognizing it to be Black Doom's own. He dared not look up at his terrifying super form, trembling now from the terror that the taste of death brought with it. "Thank you, Shadow, for helping me so much…you've done so well to come this far. I'll be sure to tell the humans that it was you who let them down here. Say 'hello' to Gerald for me, would you?"_

_Shadow could no longer keep his eyes open. His golden hue faded from his ebony fur, and he slumped into Black Doom's claw. He could no longer feel the rough concrete behind him. _

_Shadow fell. That cursed laugh danced in the air as he fell towards the Earth below…_

* * *

><p>Almost instantly Shadow's eyes shot open, his breath quick and uneven, mouth dry and bitter as the heavy feeling of nausea encased his stomach. He shook violently, staring up at the blackened sky above him. It was still late in the night.<p>

Then he remembered.

He snapped his head to his left, staring blankly at the hedgehog that was buried deep in slumber, and almost instantly did Shadow feel the urge to run far, far away from him.

As he watched Black Doom rest, he paid close attention to his even, eased breathing. It was as if he hadn't threatened an entire race of life before, much less harm a fly; his expression was so serene, so calm…it almost frightened Shadow in a way. He knew he needed away from him, yet something anchored him there to the ground. Shadow's hand settled on Black Doom's arm, just above a bandaged wound. The alien stirred and grumbled something in his native tongue, blinking his three eyes halfway open.

"Sh...Shadow? What's the matter?"

_I had a nightmare about you, _his mind screamed, _and it was terrible, so please—_

"Nothing," Shadow said, voice cracking. His wandering, unnatural thoughts were cut off by his spoken words. "I just woke up from a dream."

The fatigued warlord blinked, echoing the last word in a heavy alien accent. "What does that mean...?"

"It's...never mind." Shadow's better conscience regained control of his voice, silencing it promptly. To explain such idiotic things for no good reason was pointless. With a groggy sigh and a mumble, Black Doom rolled the rest of his body to face Shadow, three eyes tightly closed. He whispered a command for Shadow to return to sleep; the black hedgehog found himself drawing near to the other. He let his eyes fall, ears dropping.

Now that there was someone near him, he felt the unnecessary tremors of fear from a figment of his imagination. Maria, he remembered, often wandered into the professor's lab when she had nightmares late at night. She would fall asleep after holding Gerald close within minutes. He was no Maria, and Black Doom was no Gerald, but he somehow felt comforted by the presence. Instead of letting his thoughts linger into prayers to the angel of his human friend, they prayed to the one who kept close to him.

_Promise me, just this once, that even though you hate me and wish I never existed...that you would never use me like you did ever again._

_**I won't.**_

Black Doom's voice was inside his head, Shadow realized. He opened his eyes, only to find that the alien's were closed. Black Doom appeared to be sleeping still, though his vitals were difficult to read.

_Black Doom?_

_**You're too precious to me now.**_

Shadow's heart stopped. The tone felt genuine. He meant it. _What...what do you mean by that?!_

Now Shadow could truly tell that the alien had been consumed by sleep once again. His voice ceased to echo in his head, yet he suddenly felt dreadfully alone because of it. His mind screamed for Black Doom to wake and to explain...to be with him while the night progressed.

His hands, Shadow saw, were clutching Black Doom's jacket tightly. He released his grip, drawing his hands to his chest, but refused to distance himself any more. Shadow no longer wished to be alone. In that moment, he finally felt whole.

He snapped his eyes shut. God, what was wrong with him?!

Tomorrow, Shadow decided, was when they would begin their raid to the base. He needed to put Black Doom behind him forever before he went completely insane.


	17. Preparations

Shadow rose early the next morning and began making another couple cups of ramen for breakfast. He didn't find the cheap meal all too appetizing, but his worn body needed the energy. He forced himself to eat as Black Doom stirred from his slumber; the noodles slid down his throat, warming his chilled body from the cold that the autumn morning brought.

As the alien slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes, Shadow paid him little attention. He could only wonder of what awaited them at G.U.N.'s headquarters; he promised himself that their departure would be today, and he was determined to keep that promise. He couldn't imagine how tired Black Doom must have been of Earth; if he was to further heal and make a full recovery, he needed to go back home.

His thoughts ended as Black Doom made his way to the small, dwindling fire. The alien sighed as he knelt on the ground, the oversized black coat trailing behind him. Shadow merely gave him the other cup of ramen, refusing eye contact.

"I appreciate it," Black Doom said. Shadow nodded once in response. "I trust you slept well?"

"Yeah, I slept fine," Shadow replied bluntly. He made a point to not speak of the events that transpired the night before, and Black Doom seemed to follow suit. Shadow stretched, but found his skin constricted by stiff gauze. He growled in frustration and decided that perhaps he ought to let his wounds 'air out', as humans said.

As Shadow undid his bandages, he found that his once-severe wounds were barely visible. Small marks were all that were left behind. He healed fast, but it had been mere days. Shadow never healed so quickly. He wondered for but a moment if being so physically near to his biological source of life had affected the healing process. Finding no need for the bandages any longer, he cast them into the fire.

"You look well," Black Doom said as they dissolved into ash. Shadow nodded, almost forgetting the fact that the injuries came from Black Doom himself.

"I feel a lot better," he replied. "I haven't healed so fast before. It's kind of astounding."

"That's good," The older hedgehog hummed a thoughtful tone as he unfastened his bandages as well. "I feel discomfort still, especially in my stomach area, but it's not detrimental. It seems we're both doing a lot better than anticipated..."

As the alien hedgehog trailed off, he began eating quietly. He didn't seem all too eager to eat his food, either, but ate it all the same. Funny, Shadow thought, that the high and mighty Black Doom was now silently tolerating the circumstances; he couldn't help but to wonder if something inside of him was changing.

"Our close contact must be affecting our recoveries," Black Doom mused aloud. "I can't imagine another reason. We're fast healers, but not on this scale."

His creation nodded absentmindedly. Something within him had shut his openness to bonding with Black Doom down; perhaps, he realized, it was being so close with him in the first place. Love and affection was not familiar to him in the least bit. There was a reason he stayed alone most of the time.

Yet the more he thought about it, being with Black Doom had its perks. Ironically enough, he felt relaxed around him when the time came around. After their long discussion in the rain, Shadow discovered how much more to him there was than he thought. He was a descendant of a divinities—a kin to famed and determined warriors. Black Doom knew of things that the greatest minds of Earth couldn't dream of knowing. He knew so much about Shadow, too...

The ebony hedgehog looked to the sky. Going with Black Doom was only a few words away. All he had to do was find them and push them out, one by one.

"Hey, um..."

Black Doom suddenly perked up at the timid tone in Shadow's voice. He stared attentively at the hedgehog, waiting for him to continue.

"Do you think I could..." Shadow trailed off.

Something suddenly snapped inside. This was wrong, and there were so many voices in his head telling him so. Maria, Gerald, Sonic—it was as if he heard every human's voice pleading for him to stay on Earth and protect them.

Shadow backed out of the question at the last second.

"Do you think **we** could get going soon? When do you think you'll be ready to go?" he asked.

Black Doom hardly responded physically, as if he had expected the question far in advance. Instead, he merely closed his eyes, deep in thought.

"I'm far finished with this primitive lifestyle," he responded before shoving a wad of noodles into his mouth, "so I'm ready anytime you are."

"Good. We're ready now, then."

* * *

><p>As the day passed, the Commander sat silently within the confines of his office. His gloved hands remained folded beneath his chin, eyes fixed upon his computer screen. His patience was wearing thin; his soldiers were to send reports as soon as even the slightest trace of the fugitives' whereabouts showed. He received no such thing since the deployment of the troops.<p>

He brought his hand up to his forehead. Shadow the Hedgehog was no fugitive; he didn't deserve to be chased down. He was a hero to the world, yet in a blink of an eye, he changed face. Why? He could have had the perfect life and be the happiest he ever could have been, yet he had to run off with that horrid monster.

He saw enough of that thing to know it wasn't of this earth. The Commander thought of the hedgehog to be insignificant when his men first brought it back to headquarters. As the scientists soon discovered, though, the hedgehog's "bump" on its forehead turned out to be a disturbing third eye. Since that news, he couldn't think of the hedgehog to be anything other than Black Doom...but how was that possible? Shadow killed him, didn't he? Furthermore, why would Shadow assist the alien bastard after all he'd been through?

It made no sense. There was nothing that could explain his actions...except Shadow knowingly and willingly betraying humanity itself. Could there have been an underground plan between those two? Was Black Doom's demise staged?

The Commander sat back in his chair. This situation was wearing on his nerves quickly. He had a grandchild that he longed to see. He wanted to be home. He wanted to sleep; he had not done that in days.

Just as he closed his eyes, the phone shattered the silence in the room. His ears rang as he jolted upright, slamming his knees into the desk. Cringing, he reached to the phone and pressed the speaker button.

"Yes?! What do you have?"

There was a brief moment of static from the other end. "Well, sir, we're in the forest north of Westopolis and, though it might not be exactly what we're looking for, we do have something."

"Go on."

"We found a bag of supplies and remains of a campfire. It looks fresh, but...this place is abandoned."

It was enough evidence for the Commander. "Take cover and wait in case something returns."

"But, sir, what if this is just some hobo's stuff? What if this is a waste of time?"

The aged man clenched his fist. "It's better to exercise precautions than missing them completely, soldier. Arm your weapons and assume secure, hidden locations. Wait for any approaching parties; if they're the fugitives we're looking for, open fire."

The soldier on the other end hesitated before responding, "understood, sir. Over and out."

The line disconnected as the Commander withdrew his gloved finger from the phone. He sighed, satisfaction tugging his lips into a smile. Shadow may be caught in the crossfire, but as long as Black Doom was dead for good, he didn't care. The only matter that bothered him was why the location was abandoned in the first place. If those two indeed resided there, why did they leave?

And then there was the matter of Sonic. He told the Commander himself he had no idea where Shadow was. He promised. That blue hedgehog could be so difficult to read at times, though, surprisingly enough, and this was a time where he truly doubted Sonic's word. As little as the two interacted, they had ways of bonding that was indescribable. Sonic often reached out to help others in their times of need. Was he protecting Shadow or...

The sudden blaring of sirens interrupted his thoughts. The noise came from behind the door, followed by shouting and running. The Commander would have leapt from his seat if his phone hadn't rung again.

"Commander, stay where you are! There've been multiple sightings of intruders in sector eight—we're scrambling to find these bastards but a couple of men are coming to protect you!"

The Commander didn't answer. He merely stared at his desk. Of course, he bitterly thought; he should have known where they would go. Where else but here? He cast his eyes to just right of his desk where Shadow had deposited a white Chaos Emerald the day of the escape. It still lay there. That, he knew, was what those two wanted. No doubt they wanted to gather the Emeralds again and take the world by storm.

He opened his desk drawer and found his pistol. Its new home was now on the Commander's side, loaded and ready to be fired.

Black Doom would die today.


	18. Infiltration

_Sorry for the delay. School's a bit more hectic than last semester...geh, college! Enjoy.  
>-Laz<em>

* * *

><p>"Not exactly what I had in mind when I said 'let's stay undetected,'" Shadow growled as he ducked behind a corner. Black Doom was already there waiting for him, catching his breath. The pair had narrowly escaped fire of a lone patrolling soldier.<p>

"I didn't know the human would fly **that **far!" Black Doom replied beneath his breath. The black blur sent a nasty glare over his shoulder before peering around the corner.

The facility was nothing but a tangled mess of hallways leading to different sectors. The layout was complicated, but not nearly as complicated as the ARK; they could surely navigate with ease...theoretically. As long as they went undisturbed by the men, they could complete their mission unharmed. It would take long, though...

Shadow felt the air tense as Black Doom grew more and more impatient. He scoffed, "my soldiers would have had gotten there and back already."

The younger hedgehog growled at the comment, but decided not to pursue an argument. He merely attempted to stay focused on the task at hand.

"If memory serves me right, the Commander's office is straight up ahead," Shadow said.

"So how will we get by undetected? ...Or will we?" Black Doom asked. He paused briefly before grinning. "I propose we merely cut these pests down one by one..."

The hybrid furrowed his brow. "Let's not; I don't want more trouble from these people."

He let his mind run free with options of all sorts, thinking through countless plans and means of reaching the Commander's quarters as safely as possible. The ventilation system, though undesirable, was an option, but its air temperature could prove to be unpredictable and perhaps even dangerous. Shadow knew now that Black Doom was sensitive to climate changes. It seemed the only way was by foot.

"We'll have to move through this place carefully, and if we find soldiers, we'll either have to lose them or temporarilyincapacitate them. Temporarily—as in no mortal wounds," Shadow explained. Black Doom narrowed his eyes. "Just be careful and follow me."

With one final glance around the corner, Shadow gave a slight movement with his hand to signal his father before quickly dashing forward and to the right. Black Doom followed close behind, trailing ever-so slightly on Shadow's heels and vigilant of his surroundings. The place reeked of metal and human; the salty scent of human flesh only got stronger as they went on.

"Bastards!"

Shadow and Black Doom's ears twitched at the shout. Just as bullets began to spray after them, the pair dove for the shelter of a nearby hallway. Black Doom sent two large black tendrils back to stall the soldier while they caught their breath. He suddenly cringed, knees buckling.

"Are you alright?" Shadow asked. Black Doom covered his stomach.

"Perhaps I underestimated how well I've healed," he replied, finding his ivory gloves dark with blood. Shadow furrowed his brow; there was nothing they could do to stop the bleeding, and there was no time for them to sit and rest. He scowled.

"Push through it."

"Hm?"

Shadow sighed. "Push through it; you would've told me the same, and I would have done just that. So what makes you any different?"

Black Doom stared at his creation for a moment, reading the hedgehog's every emotion. The half-breed was right, even if he didn't see the circumstances as the same, as his social status was much higher than Shadow's, but desperate times called for desperate measures. They had no time to waste.

Just as the alien hedgehog opened his mouth to reply, he spotted two soldiers coming down the hallway out of the corner of his eye. He stood straight, grabbed Shadow's arm, and ran. Gunshots fired after them.

"We have hostile forces headed northbound in sector A-6, I repeat, hostiles headed northbound," the soldier called into his communicator. The other was busy in his attempts to gun the hedgehogs down as they ran. "It appears to be Shadow and another black hedgehog—possibly the wanted escapee! Be on guard!"

Holding his stomach with his other hand tightly, Black Doom squeezed Shadow for reassurance. His sides began to sting from running so excessively; the pain was beginning to cloud his thoughts. He growled in frustration, no longer caring about stealth or going undetected. All he wished was to leave this metal death trap—not to mention this worthless planet—once and for all.

"This place is familiar—we're getting close to the Commander's office!" Shadow shouted. Something snapped inside of Black Doom—something feral and sadistic, and it put a spring in his step. His speed increased. The walls were nothing but blurs of grays and whites; the soldiers had barely a second to react, and that was if they saw the black streaks of light that zoomed by.

"Stop!" Shadow suddenly cried. And, albeit on the slow side, they came to a halt.

Sirens were blaring loudly; the lights shrouded everything with red. The black blur came to realize that the sector they were in was under lockdown. G.U.N. knew who they were dealing with, and Shadow had a hard time believing they weren't scared of the pair of hedgehogs.

"They're sealing this place off?" Black Doom asked. Shadow nodded hesitantly, keeping an eye out for surrounding patrolmen. "Then we got here just in time. Lovely."

"We have to hurry, though. Chances are, if they know where we are, they're sending reinforcements," Shadow explained. He turned to Black Doom and locked eyes with him. The alien blinked, knitting his brow. "This is your mission, Black Doom. You go get the Emerald, and I'll stand watch. I won't let anyone get by me. I promise."

Black Doom hesitated, but nodded once in agreement. For Shadow to make a pawn of himself so freely was almost touching, he thought. He would have to commend it later.

Without a word more, the millennia-old warlord turned and raced on ahead, leaving Shadow behind. He resisted the urge to glance over his shoulder to see his creation once more; there was an ominous feeling of foreboding in the air. It was pointless to worry over it, though, and he knew it. Whatever the feeling was, it was merely a distraction.

It wasn't long before a group of men came barraging down the hall straight for Black Doom. Scoffing, he cut down them down before the door with a flick of his wrist. They hollered as they fell, weapons clattering to the ground. The alien hedgehog kicked the door open, sheer determination fueling his every move now. There was an Emerald nearby, and he could feel it.

He had only a few seconds to take in the small room. Plush red carpet, filing cabinets, and a mahogany desk; half of the office's walls were made of glass, which overlooked a vast area full of computers and monitoring systems. It was nothing too elegant, he silently noted. His kitchen at home had more dignity than this.

What caught his eye was the glowing white Chaos Emerald perched upon the Commander's desk. His eyes widened slightly; the energy radiating off of the gem was practically torturing him. If he were closer, a fraction of his powers could be restored...

Just as he stepped inside the office, the heavy door slammed behind him, locking with a sickening metallic noise. Black Doom turned, taken aback, but suddenly felt the presence of a life form near.

"So, Black Doom..." The Commander emerged from behind the hedgehog, his voice low and dripping with grim intentions. "We meet again."


	19. The Showdown

_It's been soooo long! I apologize for the wait, I truly do! Things have been piling up like crazy. This will be finished, though, rest assured! I will not let this story die. ;w; Happy anniversary to Shadow, too! This'll be my lil special for him. Enjoy enjoy!_

* * *

><p>"I see you've figured it out, then," the alien hedgehog began, turning to face the Commander. It was a golden opportunity to finish this pesky human off, Black Doom realized, but at the same time he knew that there were more important tasks to complete. "Do your men know? Does your race know? Or are you too afraid of widespread panic to tell them of my return?"<p>

"I didn't bother to tell them since you'll be gone by the end of today," the human smirked. The alien scoffed.

"Your arrogance is blinding you, Commander," Black Doom said. "Overconfidence will lead to your downfall."

"Are you speaking from personal experience?"

The hedgehog's disposition darkened. To think he had almost forgotten about the ordeal a few days prior. It wasn't overconfidence that sent him spiraling towards death; it was something that somehow lived inside him that he didn't wish to acknowledge. Perhaps it was overconfidence, though—overconfidence in the Emeralds, overconfidence in his plan for world domination, overconfidence in Shadow's faith...

The mere thought of Shadow was enough to snap him out of the tangled knot of his thoughts.

"I'm speaking on behalf of others' experiences," Black Doom replied.

"What are you doing with Shadow?" the Commander demanded. His tone had suddenly shifted, Black Doom noticed; he was more urgent now. Had the memory of the invasion riled the Commander up as well? It wouldn't be surprising. If anything, the war was a bigger deal to the humans than to the Black Arms.

"Relax; he saved me out of his own free will. I had no influence in the matter," Black Doom responded coolly.

"**You're lying!**" he shouted, his grip tightening on the gun. His trust in Shadow would remain intact, he promised himself; never would the Ultimate Life Form he knew assist such an evil, rotten tyrant. Never...

"You can believe otherwise as you wish, but I'm telling the truth, Commander," the alien couldn't help but to grin. How amusing it was to see the human military leader all riled up! "I would never lie to you."

The teasing, smug tone of his was enough to push the Commander off the edge. He lunged for the black hedgehog, who was a little taken aback by the sudden movement. Black Doom narrowly avoided being tackled and leapt across the room. The human snapped his head to where Black Doom stood, his eyes blazing.

"I know you're controlling him, you bastard," he shouted as he cocked his pistol and pulled the trigger. "Release him, scum! Now!"

_He has a worse temper than Shadow—!_

Before the bullets had a chance to meet with Black Doom's flesh, a thin barrier of fuchsia rose to deflect them. In a quick move of his hands, the shield twisted into a flat, horizontal disc that shot forward to where the Commander was standing.

The human dodged. The alien spat a curse in his native tongue. Such agility for a being that was halfway to his expiration date...

"Unforgivable...! Everything you've done is unforgivable!" the Commander shouted as he got to his feet, taking aim at the hedgehog. "And for all the lives you've taken—here on Earth and God-knows-where-else—I'm going to avenge them...every single one of them!"

More shots were fired, but Black Doom swiftly evaded each of them. He focused on the Emerald still upon the desk; it was the only thing he was there for. Even if he left the human military's leader unscathed, he would still be satisfied. It was just that jewel that mattered...! If he could reach that damn thing, he could get out of here in a snap.

The side of his head exploded with a sharp pain. His eyes widened.

_Oh, gods, have I been shot?!_

Black Doom panicked before he saw the gun on the floor a ways away from him. He touched the side of his head, finding a mere cut as the extent of his injury. The human had thrown the weapon at him instead of firing a shot. Did it mean he was out of ammunition? He turned his head to the Commander, only to find him racing straight for him.

"Like hell I'll let you walk away with that!" the Commander cried. Black Doom threw his hands out to brace himself.

Their hands met, fingers lacing together, and they began pushing against another's weight. Their arms trembled and strained. Flames of hatred flickered in their eyes. Black Doom squinted, attempting to read any of the Commander's emotions—or hack into his mind, whichever came first—but all he was met with were those mismatched eyes...and vaguely he remembered a child on the ARK with the same eyes. Were they the same...?!

Without warning, the Commander's knee shot up and into Black Doom's stomach. Curse it all, the alien screamed in his head; that wound was as good as fresh again, and gods, what pain it was! Waves of sheer agony rippled throughout his entire body and, with eyes widened in shock, every ounce of energy was drained from him. He fell limp into the Commander's knee. With one smug scoff from the aged human, Black Doom was kicked to the wall. He landed on his side, coughing and praying he wouldn't lose any more of his precious blood. If humans got a hold of his genetics, the universe was good as ruined.

His ears twitched at the cocking of a pistol. A spare—one that was packed full of bullets. "Imagine how weak you must be if I, a human, can defeat you like this!"

For some reason, the jeering comment harmed his confidence. What if he was weaker than a pathetic creature such as man? Although now unsure of himself, Black Doom teleported out of the way just as a bullet flew out of the Commander's gun. He reappeared behind the human, lurking in the shadows, hoping to find some sanctuary—and weapons—there. The Commander whirled around just in time to see a large black tendril shooting out from the wall. It blinded the Commander for a few moments as Black Doom fell to his knees on the ground.

His stomach was still encased in relentless, throbbing agony. The pain shouldn't last this long, he cursed, but he wasn't one to lose hope in such a situation. Black Doom's journey home wouldn't end like this. The alien's stomach, though throbbing and screaming for mercy, had to be ignored. Shadow would be coming soon—he had to be.

With the image of Shadow flashing in his mind, Black Doom emerged, springing forward with fists ablaze with fuchsia.

* * *

><p>Chaos Spears danced about in the air, knocking anything in their path to the ground. Men who were lucky enough to evade the Spears were greeted with Shadow's own fists. Even through their thick armor, the wind was knocked out of them, and they fell to their knees.<p>

The only time a soldier was able to get his hand on Shadow was thrown off by a small Chaos Blast. The radius pushed the remaining line of men back, some even retreating from fear of being incinerated by the Chaos energy.

It was easy work, but it grew monotonous as time went by, and along with it the soldier's numbers dwindled. Shadow was mindful of how much power he used during the little scrimmage, for he was the emergency means of transportation if something should happen; he had plenty to spare, luckily. Yet even as he stood and allowed his powers to restore, his mind couldn't help but to wander. He dedicated getting the Emerald to his father; he was not to interfere. Interfering would harm Black Doom's confidence.

He smirked to himself. This was becoming a joke.

In a swift movement, Shadow checked for any incoming soldiers and grabbed the doorknob. He pulled, but nothing gave. His eyes widened. Locked?!

It didn't take very long for him to understand the severity of the situation; Shadow clenched his fists, gathering the surrounding energy, and slammed into the door. It came off its hinges pathetically, clattering to the ground. As Shadow dusted his hands, he turned his attention to the center of the office.

What his crimson eyes beheld made his stomach drop. The Commander stood before Shadow, holding Black Doom's limp body. The hedgehog was hanging by his neck, back against to the Commander's stomach by the human's arm. Black Doom's stomach was bleeding. The side of his head was bleeding. His face was covered in scratches.

Shadow gasped, but his concern instantly snapped to rage.

"Commander! What the hell are you doing?!"

"Justice, Shadow," the Commander replied. "I don't want this to progress any further; I'm ending this menace now."

The human lifted a pistol to the unconscious hedgehog's temple. The alien leader twitched at the cold metal thing being pressed against his matted fur. Shadow stepped forward in protest but quickly stopped, fearful that any further movement would provoke the shot. Instead, Black Doom mumbled something as he stirred. As his eyes opened, he quickly grew alert of his surroundings; yet even with a gun held to his head, the alien leader remained calm.

"Let him go, Commander," Shadow demanded. "This isn't going to solve anything..."

"Tell me how it won't, Shadow!" he barked. "This bastard has taken countless lives! He's probably decimated countless other planets! Ending his life—what wouldn't it do?"

Shadow fell silent, suddenly overwhelmed with his thoughts. Though overcame, he had to carefully select his words. This was a hostage situation, he told himself; if he allowed himself to feel anything more for the captive, his father, he would surely make a grave mistake—whatever that may be. He let his body relax, hoping the Commander would come to do the same.

"Killing someone for killing others...think about it. It's an endless cycle," Shadow said quietly. He almost couldn't believe what he was saying; such peaceful, pacifist talk for someone who almost enjoyed cutting down those in his way. They were the right words, though, and he knew it. "Trust me. That thirst for revenge won't stop with Black Doom. It'll keep building."

"I can't accept that."

"You have to. It's the truth," Shadow replied. He cast a weary glance at Black Doom, who remained silent, yet watched Shadow with a certain interest. The black blur noticed his heart thumping in his ears; was he really that nervous about the situation?

"I would rather die knowing this monster is dead than regretting letting him go, Shadow!"

The gun was cocked, ready to fire. Shadow's eyes widened.

_I'll fail another. _

"Commander, don't!"

_**No, you won't. **_

Black Doom's low, velvety voice filled the confines of Shadow's mind. They echoed, yet Shadow refused to believe so. Too many times had he failed his loved ones—Gerald, Maria, and now Black Doom. The hedgehog stepped towards the pair as one last plea.

"Commander, don't...!"

_**It's alright.**_

No, it wasn't.

The human tensed as Shadow approached, narrowing his eyes and reaffirming his hold on the hedgehog. His finger molded around the trigger, readying to pull it back. He would do it, too, Shadow realized suddenly. The determination in his eyes was burning too bright. Shadow gasped.

"**STOP!**"

Suddenly, a shot rang out, and crimson blood splattered on the shining glass.


	20. The Traitor, the Savior

_Thanks for the patience, folks. I really appreciate it! I'm so glad everyone's hung around even during my hiatuses and whatnot...this story has stuck with me during some of the roughest parts of my entire life. Big sentimentality, this thing is! _

_This'll be the last A/N for this thang! Next up is an epilogue that'll set the stage for an upcoming story. I hope to get this next one kickstarted as soon as possible!_

_From the bottom of my heart, thank you all dearly for reading, reviewing, and supporting this story. It means a whole lot! Thank you thank you thank you!_

_-Laz_

* * *

><p>The Commander let out a cry of agony, stumbling back and collapsing onto the ground, clutching his stomach. His ivory glove was stained with red, blood seeping through his navy jacket. Shadow was frozen in place, staring at the crumpled human in disbelief. He slowly brought his eyes to his father, who was recovering from being dropped to the ground. He caught his breath as he stood, giving a small nod to Shadow.<p>

Indeed, Black Doom was unscathed from the commotion; his palm merely emitted a pale fuchsia steam. He effortlessly snatched the Emerald on the desk behind him and rushed to the door. A dumbfounded Shadow was left behind. The alien heaved an exasperated sigh.

"Shadow, let's go," Black Doom commanded. Shadow nodded as his father ran out of the office. He turned to the door, ready to sprint after him, but a voice caught him.

"S-Shadow, you traitor," the Commander rasped. Shadow again froze. That word stung him like never before. Why, though? Black Doom had called him that several times over and he never felt a thing. His stomach twisted and his throat went dry. "If I ever see your face again...I won't hesitate...!"

The alien leader saw his child's unease, and he stepped towards him. "He makes empty threats, Shadow. Come, let's leave this place."

The black blur closed his eyes and turned to his father in response. The Commander shouted Shadow's name with a burning rage over and over, further ripping Shadow apart on the inside, and finally Black Doom took Shadow's hand. It snapped the hedgehog out of his anxiety. They looked at each other for a moment, and Shadow glanced at the white Emerald in Black Doom's hand. He took it in his.

"**SHADOW!**"

"Goodbye, Commander," the hybrid muttered beneath his breath.

And the two vanished in a brilliant light, leaving the human to bleed.

* * *

><p>Shadow found himself closer to Black Doom as soon as they materialized back at their small campsite. His spiced scent was strangely calming; it was familiar and assuring. He opened his eyes, sighing as he stepped away from his father.<p>

"Don't you dare pay heed to that insect's words," Black Doom warned, the worry of the mission's success now lifted off his shoulders. "You...did the right thing."

Of course, that meant little to Shadow coming from Black Doom of all people. He needed to hear that from another party...Sonic, perhaps? Suddenly he had an urge to see him. Shadow hugged himself as a cool breeze waved through. Black Doom kept his distance, allowing Shadow to think to himself. It pained him to see him this way, though. Another crisis was not what he needed.

"I don't even know anymore," Shadow sighed. "Everyone's been calling me a traitor these days. It's hard to find a place to be that I'm happy with in addition to getting as little criticism as possible."

"Would you think that I am being genuine if I said that you should go wherever you please?" his father asked. The wind died down. Shadow turned halfway to him. Black Doom's face was stern and unmoving; hell, he could see the genuineness. Was this for real? "If someone has an issue with what path you choose, you shouldn't care. It's your life, anyways."

That made Shadow turn completely to face his father. He felt relief and anger boiling in his stomach—a strange combination to be sure. "A-are you serious? You're telling me this **now**?"

"Shadow..."

"After all the crap you put me through—all the things you tried to cram down my throat...! This is what you're telling me?!"

"Shadow."

"You're such a damn hypocrite, I can't even begin to tell you how—"

"**You've changed me, Shadow!**"

The air grew stiller than before. Black Doom had retreated in his stance, slouching in defeat and eyes darkening in shame. Shadow stared at his father in shock. Changed...him? He changed the tyrannical, horrible, merciless leader of the Black Arms? He couldn't begin to comprehend it.

"What..." he managed to stutter.

"I'm sorry for keeping it from you," Black Doom said, "but throughout this entire process, I've felt my disposition change. My mindset's shifted. I've listened to you and felt you dream and...I finally understand."

Shadow suddenly felt all his other concerns vanish as his father spoke. He could no longer remember how long it had been since rescuing him; nor could he recall the events that had recently transpired. All he could hear, see, and think of was the hedgehog that stood before him. It was now only he and Shadow that mattered, and despite what had occurred in the past, Shadow felt a strange longing sensation.

"Black Doom..."

As soon as Shadow took a step forward, both hedgehogs' piqued senses picked up something amiss. Someone was present—in fact, there were multiple presences. The two furrowed their brows in suspicion. Black Doom inhaled and stepped close to Shadow, whispering;

"Humans."

Barely a split second later, Shadow caught a glimpse of five soldiers in surrounding treetops. Just as they readied their guns,Black Doom quickly brought up several dark matter tendrils, forming them into a large shield. Bullets bombarded the shield relentlessly; had it not been for Black Doom, they would have been long dead. Shadow looked up at the three-eyed hedgehog.

"How did they find us?!"

"They were bound to eventually, I'm sure," Black Doom replied, grunting. "Dammit, that blasted human reopened my stomach wound—I can't keep this up much longer...!"

Shadow scowled. Surely they could wipe the soldiers out without much effort; but there was a sense of foreboding, especially after the close call at G.U.N. Headquarters. They were so close to getting Black Doom home safely. At this point, Shadow found himself not caring about his well-being—it was his father's he valued more. He wanted a family. He wanted **him**.

But at this rate there would be no life with a family, let alone a life at all. He looked around, desperately seeking a means of escape or protection, yet there was nothing. The best they could do is hope Black Doom would hold up long enough until their ammunition ran out.

"Shadow!"

The hedgehog in question perked to the south, where the voice came from. It was Sonic; alongside him ran his friends, Tails and Amy. Never before had he felt so relieved to see them.

"Those rats—they must have turned on us and led the humans here...!" Black Doom shouted. Shadow gasped.

"No, that's...!" he stammered. "That's impossible! Sonic wouldn't—!"

Right on cue, as the three heroes neared the pair, Sonic slowed his pace momentarily. "Shads, what are you doing?! Take your friend and get out of here! We'll take care of them!"

Black Doom furrowed his brow as the blue blur promptly sped toward the trees. Sure, it was the perfect means of escape for the pair, but he refused to trust that blue pest. For the sake of he and Shadow, though, he decided to drop it for the moment.

"Hurry and teleport us, Shadow," he grunted.

Shadow quickly proceeded to withdraw the white Emerald and grab hold of his father's waist. They vanished in white light, re-appearing a few miles away from the site of battle; as soon as Black Doom's ears confirmed that their surroundings were safe, he eased into Shadow's arms. His energy levels were depleting rapidly. All he wanted was to rest. His mind trailed off into daydreams of his soft, warm bed, wrapped in light, luxurious sheets. He swore he smelled tea.

"Y-you're...bleeding," Shadow suddenly gasped.

Black Doom became gradually aware of a stinging sensation along his right arm. He instantly gripped the wound in question, barely wincing at the pain. Indeed, there was blood, and it was fresh. He cursed in his mind; yet another setback.

"It's nothing. Don't overreact," Black Doom replied. Instead, he forced himself to straighten up and remove himself from Shadow's support. "I merely need to return home...and now would be best."

Shadow swallowed. He agreed, knowing the safety of the Black Arms leader was at stake, yet he felt a strange want for him to stay longer. Still, he extended his hand to Black Doom, offering the Chaos Emerald to him without much hesitation. The other, however, hesitated in taking it, thrown off by how quickly and without question Shadow had offered it. (If only he had been this way a week prior!) With that, though, he did take the Emerald firmly in his grasp.

The power and invigoration he felt just by touching it was overwhelmingly refreshing. His body felt energized and awakened. Black Doom inhaled and closed his eyes, allowing the Chaos energy to flow from his fingertips deep into his veins. By the time he exhaled, he felt many gateways to his Chaos powers unlock, his wounds significantly healed. The glow engulfing his body had ceased. Shadow watched in awe.

"It's...perfect," Black Doom smiled. He opened his eyes, fondly gazing into the Emerald, then to Shadow. He sighed softly and returned the gem to his creation. "I feel wonderful."

"Good. I'm...I'm glad." Shadow nodded. His hand loosely held the Chaos Emerald, which now seemed heavier than usual. He swallowed the lump in his throat. "So, I suppose this is where things end...?"

Black Doom felt a strong breeze blow through his quills. The sky was cloudy again. Rain, was it? He turned his gaze to the gray clouds pensively. A seemingly-endless silence hung over the pair of hedgehogs. It was becoming clear that neither wanted to be the one to finalize their departure; yet having said that, neither wanted to laugh it off.

Shadow looked over his shoulder, assuring himself that there was no one approaching. They were still safe. Yet the sooner, the better. He inhaled and opened his mouth to speak.

"Shadow, I..." Black Doom trailed off. The black blur's ears perked. "I...held back in that battle. I'm sorry."

His ruby eyes widened. "What?"

The alien leader slumped; if there were a shell on his back, he would have been retreating into it then. He continued hesitantly.

"I knew someone had to die to win Earth, but seeing you after so long—and how strong you became...! I couldn't allow myself to finish you off," Black Doom explained. A strange feeling ran down Shadow's spine. "I had the strength to do it, but I couldn't. You are my son...my family, and I can't bring any harm to my family...not ever."

His three eyes closed, feeling another cold breeze. He shivered. There was no response from Shadow; he expected that, of course, and he figured there would be no way he would believe it—

"You...you **idiot**," Shadow muttered, falling into Black Doom's arms. His eyes stung with looming tears. "That was...that was the only thing that went through my head when I finished you off—that you didn't care about me or that you only saw me as some lowly pawn...!"

The hybrid found himself quietly shaking in his father's strong arms, tears welling in his eyes. Shadow the Hedgehog, crying, as much as he had in quite some time, over his once-estranged father...He would have been ashamed and angry at himself if he hadn't been overcome with emotion already.

"Shadow...I...I misread you and your intentions," he muttered, stroking his child's quills gently. "It's both our fault, then, for having such an awful relationship at the start."

"Shut up," Shadow whispered as tears fell down his face. Black Doom smiled to himself at the jab.

For a few moments, the pair stood there, holding one another. The air was growing thick with humidity, and Shadow began to wonder if rain was on its way. He brought his hands down, allowing them to fall to his sides as he looked up. Black Doom released his hold as well.

"It'll rain soon. You...you should get going soon."

"Shadow, perhaps you should accompany me."

His crimson eyes widened. Had he heard right? Shadow resumed his focus on his father before him. All he saw was Black Doom's outstretched hand and a warm, welcoming smile. Never before had he seen such a pure, open emotion, let alone upon the alien's face.

But it was what he had been wanting as of late. The family he had been wondering about was waiting for him; now he had an invitation to go meet and live with them. There would no doubt be culture shock to a significant degree; it would certainly take getting used to. Making amends with the surviving Black Arms would take dear time as well. Yet as luxurious and perfect as it sounded, Sonic would be waiting for him...depending on him. Earth was the planet that Shadow had always dreamed of living on. He knew he needed to protect this planet for everyone's sakes, including his deceased loved ones. He was the chosen one. He knew it.

Shadow's mind told him to go. His heart told him to go.

He set his hand in his father's and held it tightly. Black Doom lit up, closing his eyes and smiling gratefully.

"Shadow, I'm so—"

"**I can't**."

Black Doom's face fell, shattered.

"I can't go with you. My job isn't done here—not yet," Shadow cast his eyes to the side, internally scolding himself for the words he spoke. Their hold on one another was something wonderful, so strong and sincere. That moment made him truly believe that he was this person's son.

Black Doom closed his eyes and nodded, hesitating as a calm breeze ran through both their quills. "I...understand. It-it pains me to leave you behind..." he trailed off. Shadow snapped his eyes shut and stared into the other hedgehog's eyes with startling determination.

"Come back, though. I'll be ready," Shadow said.

"In...fifty years?" Black Doom asked. Shadow nodded, allowing a small smile to emerge. His father smiled back. "You must promise; I tend to get upset when promises are broken."

Shadow chuckled. For the first time in quite a long time, he felt invigorated to be alive—happy to be who he was. As if he had done it dozens of times, Shadow stepped forward and embraced his father tightly. He smiled, eyes closed, savoring each passing second. Black Doom returned the gesture, sighing contently.

"Farewell_, _Shadow." Black Doom whispered.

"This isn't farewell," Shadow said. "I'll see you again."

The Black Arms leader blinked and stepped back from his hybrid son. There was nothing more to say, he decided. Shadow stood there in silence, waiting for anything—another motion, another word, another noise. Yet the only thing he beheld was a white light, and it swept Black Doom away from Earth.

Shadow closed his eyes, breathing deeply as he slowly began to convince himself that his creator was gone. His job was finished. He could finally rest.

As he sank to his knees, he heard rapid footsteps approaching him. He no longer cared if those soldiers had escaped Sonic's distraction tactic; he was suddenly heavy with exhaustion and his mind was clouded with the desires of rest. He sighed, relaxing his limbs further.

"Shadow! Shadow, are you alright?!"

Thank God, Shadow thought. It was Sonic's voice coming from behind him. Yet a sweet fragrance met his nose quickly after. Though he was not accustomed to it, he knew it was Amy. Her hands were upon his shoulders.

"You're not hurt, are you, Shadow?" Amy asked. "You look awful...Tails, how far away is the Tornado?!"

"Not far, actually," the fox replied. "We can get there in a couple minutes tops."

Suddenly Shadow beheld Sonic's face; the blue blur was crouched down. "Hey...where's your friend, Shads?"

"Gone," Shadow managed to say, "he's...gone."


	21. Epilogue

_**One week later**_

"Can I get anything else for ya?"

"For the last time, Sonic, no."

Shadow sat upon his bed, gazing outside absentmindedly. Indeed, after agreeing to join Sonic's little team and began staying at his home, Shadow had been feeling a lot better physically and mentally. It was nice to have a proper roof over his head; he found it interesting that the citizens of nearby Westopolis had constructed Sonic and his friends that very house out of the goodness of their hearts. They did so shortly after the events of the Perfect Chaos incident—the townsfolk were increasingly grateful that their area was not affected by the water monster.

"Their city council kept insisting that 'it was the least they could do' and stuff, but I mean, we're just doing our jobs, you know?" Sonic had told Shadow at the start. "But a home's a home. We've had a spare bedroom for years, and now here you are!"

It had been a week since then. Shadow's wounds were slowly healing, albeit slower than when he was with Black Doom constantly, but with Amy's rather forceful help, he remained in his room and relaxed constantly. The pink hedgehog constantly brought food and water to Shadow, even though he insisted he didn't need to eat. (Out of guilt, he did clean his plate—save for any meat, of course.) But overall, Shadow was content with his new home. All that was left for him was to actually leave his room and look about the place further.

Yet even after a week—after his wounds had completely healed and he felt perfectly reinvigorated—Amy refused to grant Shadow access to outside of his room. So, on a daily basis, Shadow sat on his bed, watching the outside world in all its glory. The occasional bird would zoom by; a few lingering leaves would finally depart their barren branches. Shadow heaved a sigh, falling onto his back and staring at the ceiling.

"Alright, alright," Sonic said, smiling to himself. "You stay in bed and...well, stay there."

_Not like I have any choice_, Shadow thought angrily.

"I'm gonna go into town and see how reconstruction's going, okay? I'll be sure to let you know if I find any stragglers."

And there was also **that **matter.

Shadow had told Sonic everything as soon as he had recovered tremendously. He remembered as clearly as if it was the day before; all the emotions that cycled through him, wondering if he would be turned away because of what he did—it made him feel ill. Yet surprisingly enough, Sonic seemed happy that Shadow had did what he did. The blue blur smiled, assuring Shadow that it was the right thing to do and that he was proud of him. Sonic...proud of him. He didn't like the sound of that.

The blue hedgehog left Shadow's room with a mere wave of the hand, and Shadow was left alone yet again. His door was open, he realized. Why didn't he just go and ignore that girl's orders? Perhaps he had gained a strong sense of respect for her. In exchange for nursing him back to health, it was the least he could do. But what did he care...?

"Hey, um, Shadow?"

The black blur's ears twitched at his name. Sonic had returned to Shadow's doorway, a small envelope in his hand.

"What?"

"This was at the bottom of the stairs...it has your name on it," Sonic approached Shadow's bedside, taking a curious sniff of the paper. He blinked. "Smells funny, too. You wanna check it out?"

Shadow took the envelope from his new teammate's hands and inspected it. Indeed, his name was printed on the front, but it was in a strange lettering—almost as if English was not the writer's first language. Yet there were serifs about each letter, elegantly scripted with black ink. Interested, Shadow turned it over and broke the envelope's small seal. Several slips of parchment were folded neatly inside. He cast a quick glance to Sonic, who stood there in greater curiosity. That mere glance was enough to prompt Sonic to leave, however.

"I'll get going, okay? Take your time with that."

Finally, he was gone. As soon as he was alone, Shadow carefully removed the papers, unfolded them, and almost instantly his eyes widened at the text:

"_Shadow,_

_How are you faring since our parting? You were not nearly as injured as I, so I trust you healed much faster. I, on the other hand, am thankful for ambidexterity, as my right arm is still recovering. But I digress—enough depressing talks, yes?_

_I came home to find my Mother had restored every inch of the Comet. I'm so very thankful! There are many foreign teas here that mean a great deal to me; to lose them would devastate me. I am very eager for you to try them. I steep mine for a very long while. How long do you steep yours? Be sure to figure that out before I come back. _

_I have found difficulties in restoring our numbers, however. I feel that even though revealing this information to you could be uncomfortable, you deserve to know. You are family, aren't you? I'm working very hard, though; it is a matter of focusing energies, dividing them, visualizing—it's very complicated. Within these past days I have done nothing but rest, yet my mind is occupied with this issue. Hopefully it will resolve itself soon. _

_I grow tired of writing with this hand. It's been a very long time! I would have gotten this to you sooner if I was not so paranoid about your whereabouts. You seem to have found a place to settle, though. If you do get this, would you send a reply of sorts? I need something to read, after all..._

_As to how to send: think nothing but of me. The Black Comet, still lingering above Earth (we're out of sight from your satellites, rest assured.) Then teleport your message. It will be easy! I trust in you dearly. I will be in reach of you for a few Earth months as we recoup and recover. I shall let you know when I will no longer be able to receive messages from you. _

_For your brothers and my sakes, take care of yourself._"

At the bottom was a strange signature that consisted of foreign characters, all new to Shadow's eyes. Yet he somehow found familiarity in them; he knew it said "father". Shadow smiled. He read the letter once more, hearing Black Doom's voice speaking every word, and he once again felt the closeness. It was as if Black Doom were sitting next to him.

There was no time to lose. He sprang from his bed, and, respecting Amy's rules, ran to the door and clung to the frame.

"Amy, bring me some paper and a pen," he shouted to the hallway. Never before had he felt so eager to do something in his life. The pink hedgehog appeared at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at Shadow.

"Huh? Why?" she asked.

"I need to write a letter," Shadow explained, "for my father."


End file.
